Gifts That Help Wildlife

With the holiday shopping season upon us, here are some gifts ideas from our new Garden for Wildlife Gift Guide catalog that will help attract birds, butterflies and other wildlife to your yard or garden.

These make perfect gifts for the birder or wildlife-lover on your shopping list (including yourself)! They’ll help you provide the four elements of habitat–food, water, cover and places to raise young–that will help you achieve Certified Wildlife Habitat status for your garden.

Even better, proceeds of the sale of these items go directly to support the wildlife conservation work of the National Wildlife Federation, so your gift has a double benefit to wildlife.

Gifts that Provide Food

All wildlife needs to eat, and by offering food sources in your yard, especially during the lean winter months, you’ll help your feathered friends stay well-fed. Native plants are the best and most natural food sources. They offer seeds, nuts, berries and insects to feed birds and other wildlife. But bird feeders can help supplement the foods your plants offer, and attract birds to a regular spot for you to observe them daily. In severe winter weather, feeders can even help birds survive.

All Weather Feeder
A wide variety of birds will visit a feeder that offers seeds, including cardinals, chickadees, titmice, sparrows, finches, nuthatches and woodpeckers. It’s important to keep moisture out of the feeder so the seeds don’t get wet and moldy and to regularly clean the feeder to prevent disease. The All Weather Feeder is designed to keep rain and snow out to keep seed fresh. It comes completely apart so each piece can be individually cleaned. The circular perch lets you see all the birds that are feeding, even those on the far side. Get it here.

 

Bluebird Feeder
Bluebirds feed on berries and insects, and so won’t visit a standard bird feeder designed to offer seeds. They will, however, use a feeder that offers dried mealworms. Several bluebirds can feed simultaneously at this mealworm feeder, which features a cup to hold mealworms and roof to keep the rain and snow out. Handcrafted in Maine from eastern white pine. Get it here. (Don’t forget to also get a supply of dried mealworms too.)

 

Finch Feeder
Attract goldfinches, house finches and native sparrows to your backyard with this tube-style feeder. Birds can “run” the spiral and comfortably feed from any of nine seed ports. The plastic tube can be filled from both ends which means you can avoid old seed gathering at the bottom! Comes fully assembled and ready to use. Get it here.

 

Gifts that Provide Water

All wildlife species need to drink water to survive, and birds need to bathe to keep their feathers in good condition. A water source for wildlife can be a backyard pond or water garden, but a simple birdbath will do the job of providing this critical resource to wildlife too.

All Season 3-in-1 Heated Birdbath
Find the perfect spot in your yard for this versatile birdbath with three different mounting options: deck/post mount, clamp mount for railings and legs for ground placement. Very efficient, this thermostatically controlled birdbath heats only when necessary. Powder-coated finish remains rust free for years. Tested to -10°F. Get it here.

 

Dragonfly Hanging Birdbath
There no reason that a birdbath can’t be functional and decorative at the same time. Attract birds to your backyard with this beautiful hanging birdbath detailed with dragonfly accents. Made from rust-free recycled aluminum, it is finished in a lead-free, weather tested paint that is made to withstand the harshest elements. It’s also made in the USA. Get it here.

 

Heated Ground Birdbath
Birdbaths don’t need to be mounted on a pole or hung from a branch. Models that sit directly on the ground will not only attract birds but also small animals such as rabbits or tortoises that need a drink but that can’t fly or climb up to a mounted water source. This ground-level birdbath is designed to look like a natural, rocky pool. It’s also heated to offer water in the winter. The built-in, thermostatically controlled heating element ensures an ice-free source of water for temperatures between 0°F – 35°F. It’s energy-efficient and operates on just 70 watts. The cord discreetly tucks away when heater is not in use. Get it here.

 

Gifts that Provide Cover

Birds and other wildlife need a place to shelter from rain, snow and cold weather. They also need places to hide from predators. Offering sources of cover will make wildlife feel safe and at home in your yard.

Roosting Box
A roosting box looks like a nesting box, but it’s designed specifically to offer cover to birds and other small wildlife instead of as a place to lay eggs and raise young. Songbirds including wrens, chickadees, nuthatches, titmice and bluebirds will take shelter inside the roosting box during bad weather and on cold nights. The 1 1/2″ hole located at the bottom of the front panel is protected by a slate guard to keep squirrels from chewing it wider. The three internal perches can accommodate several birds. This roosting box is handcrafted in Maine from eastern white pine. Get it here.

 

Toad Abode
A toad abode not only provides cover, but also a bit of whimsy to your wildlife garden. And it’s not just for toads! All manner of small wildlife will take shelter in this ceramic house. Get it here.

 

Bat House
Bats will roost in a bat house during the day. This house is built to the proper dimensions to actually attract bats. It’s made of weather-resistant cedar and plywood and has interior nylon mesh that makes it easy for bats to move around and an extended landing for easy entrance. It also has ventilation slots that circulate air. It holds up to 100 bats and is made in the USA. Get it here.

 

Gifts that Provide Places to Raise Young

Birds and other wildlife not only need food, water and cover, but also places where they can reproduce and bear their young. This ensures that you’re not only attracting wildlife on a temporary basis, but that you’re actually helping species to perpetuate. Properly constructed and maintained nesting boxes are a proven way of helping support bird populations, even in urban and suburban areas.

Chickadee Nesting Box
Chickadees are one of the easiest birds to entice into nesting in your yard and this house is sized especially for them. It opens easily for monitoring and cleaning and is handcrafted in Maine from eastern white pine. Get it here.

 

Screech Owl, Kestrel or Flicker Nesting Box
It’s not just songbirds that will use a nesting box. This screech owl box is made of all cedar construction with the entrance hole approximately four inch diameter. The front pivots down for easy cleaning. Kestrels and flickers will also use this nesting box. Get it here.

 

Wood Duck and Hooded Merganser Nesting Box
Wood ducks and hooded mergansers are two of the most beautiful waterfowl species. They’re also among of the few ducks that naturally nests in tree cavities. This nesting box mimics that natural holes that these ducks need to successfully hatch their young. It opens two ways for observation and cleaning, and has an internal ladder for the ducklings to climb out. Get it here.

 

Happy shopping, and thanks for thinking of the wildlife this holiday season!