GEAS Celebrity Holiday Gift Guide
We asked a few of our GEAS celebrities to make holiday gift recommendations for the birders in your life. Heidi Ware Carlisle is the Education Director for Intermountain Bird Observatory and former GEAS Board member. Lucian Davis is founder of Idaho Young Birders Club and current GEAS Board member. Louisa Evers is the GEAS Education Committee Chairperson and current GEAS Board member. Lisa Reed is the GEAS Board President. Dondi Black is the GEAS Field Trip Coordinator and former GEAS Board member.
Peck Peck Peck
by Lucy Cousins
This children’s book about a little woodpecker and their dad is a cute one to gift babies or toddlers in your life. The board book has holes in each page (pecked by the woodpecker, of course!) that kids will love sticking their fingers through, and brightly colored illustrations that will entertain even very young babies. As they get older, the silly story will entertain kids up to ages 3 or 4. I like this book because it would make a great gift for a bird lover or non bird-nerd alike! Hardcore birders beware though, the last page shows the woodpecker nesting in a cup nest, rather than in a cavity (gasp!)
Heidi also recommends the forthcoming Intermountain Bird Observatory book about migrating warblers. Watch for it.
Sibley Birds ID App
It’s difficult to lug big books around when you’re birding, but birders usually carry phones. There are free apps, but an excellent, high quality field guide app outperforms. The Sibley app is the way to go. It contains the illustrations featured in the Sibley books, along with some additional features and content. The app has recordings for each species, and a bit more extensive species account than what's in the books. My favorite feature is the ability to compare two similar species on one screen! This is super helpful when I'm in the field trying to figure out a tricky bird, and also extremely useful for explaining an identification to others.
Nikon Prostaff Binocular Harness
I typically bird with a pair of 10x42 binoculars but I started using a harness when I got a pair of 10x50 binoculars. My neck would get sore and achy on longer birding outings with a neck strap. The harness puts the weight of the binoculars on my shoulders, which can handle the weight much better than my neck. Another advantage I found is that when I bend over, the harness keeps the binoculars from smacking me in the face. I can more easily adjust the length of the straps to have the binoculars ride more comfortably. Since most binocular harnesses are made of an elastic material, it’s easier to lift them to my eyes when also using a camera harness or a backpack. I just need to make sure I put the binoculars and whatever else I’m carrying on in the right order so the binoculars are free to lift. The Nikon Prostaff Binocular Harness is an excellent gift for the birders in your life.
What It’s Like To Be A Bird
by David Allen Sibley
What It's Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing -- What Birds Are Doing, and Why by David Sibley is a wonderfully fascinating book. It's in large-format with more than 330 new illustrations by David Sibley, giving information on bird behavior about some of North America's more easily observed birds. The experts and nonbirders in my life have equally enjoyed it. A young readers version is slated to be published in summer 2023.
Buy from your local bookstore.
Duck and Waterfowl Identification Class
Cornell Bird Academy
This holiday season I recommend Cornell Bird Academy's Be A Better Birder: Duck and Waterfowl Identification online class for your bird loving friends and family. Winter is a great time to learn about ducks. They are big, beautiful and easy to see on our local ponds, lakes and rivers. I particularly appreciate the practical quizzes, challenges and practice opportunities in this class. It is not just lectures! Thinking and problem-solving are included! It is a great activity for nasty winter days and will help anyone enjoy our winter duck diversity so much more.