2011 Holiday Gift Guide: 12 Ideas for Birdy Gifts That Give Back, From $2

This article is from 2011, but you can check out the latest gifts here.

As you’re making your lists and checking them twice, consider holiday gifts that give twice—thoughtful gifts that are fun to receive and also help birds by supporting conservation, research, and education here at the Cornell Lab. We’ve put together a varied list of gift suggestions—from apps on your phone to trips into the field—that will delight nature lovers. A win-win!

1. Bird Apps from $1.99
Find more birds with BirdsEye, enhance your knowledge with the Cornell Lab Bird Q&A, or discover 24 North American birds in 4 games for kids with My Bird World.

2. The Birds of North America Online $5 or $42
A boundless gift for anyone who loves to learn more about birds. $5 stocking stuffer (30-day subscription) or $42 for an entire year.

3. Bird Cards That Sing $7.99
Open these colorful greeting cards to hear authentic bird sounds from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library.

4. Birds & Beans Coffee from $11.70
Your purchase supports organic shade-grown coffee farms in Latin America that give shelter and sustenance to more than 60 species of migratory birds, including thrushes, warblers, and tanagers. $11.70 and up.

5. Wild Cards: Backyard Birds $12.95
A perfect stocking stuffer for ages 6 and up: 36 playing cards and 32-page book.

6. Singing Books and More from $14.95
Choose from the Bird Songs Bible, Backyard Bird Songs for East/Central or Western, BirdScapes pop-up book, or The Bird Watching Answer Book.

7. Celebrate Urban Birds 2012 Calendar $15
Funny, poignant, and eye-catching images from winners of Celebrate Urban Birds contests.

8. Project FeederWatch $15
For you or a loved one: An entire winter of bird-watching enjoyment while helping scientists! Kit with instructions, calendar, poster, and more.

9. Cornell Lab Membership $35
A gift that gives back to the birds by supporting the Lab’s nonprofit mission to improve the understanding and protection of birds. As part of your gift, your loved one will receive the Cornell Lab’s Living Bird magazine.

10. Spring Field Ornithology from $145
For those living in the Central New York region: Sign up for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s annual Spring Field Ornithology course before February 1 and receive a $10 discount on the weekly field trips! For more than 30 years this 8-week course has thrilled birders of all skill levels and helped welcome spring songbirds migrating back to the region. Begins March 21, 2012.

11. Online Bird Course $295
Your favorite birder will gain new insights through this five-week online course, “Courtship and Rivalry in Birds.” Next courses begin February 1 and March 14. (Lab members receive a $40 discount when enrolling by phone at 866-326-7635).

12. Sound Recording Workshop $985
Students spend a week learning professional recording techniques. Takes place June 16-23, 2012, at San Francisco State University’s Sierra Nevada Field Campus in the spectacular Tahoe National Forest.