5 Highly Rated Bird Feeder Cameras You Can Watch On Your Phone
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With the warmest times of year now in full force, nature lovers everywhere are welcoming a plethora of wild neighbors into their backyards and patios — not to mention using gadgets to elevate their bird-watching and identifying experience. Nowadays, even bird feeding can be taken to the next level. With practically every tool and appliance imaginable going down the smart route, it was only a matter of time before the traditional bird feeder was transformed for the better. While there are ways to make your own smart bird feeder, the devices are more readily available for purchase than ever before, too. Smart bird feeders have the ability to capture clear images of our feathery friends and identify the species that are visiting using AI.
Whether you're a novice bird watcher or an obsessed avian fanatic hoping to attract an elusive species, there's bound to be a smart bird feeder that suits your needs. Below is a selection of some of the most highly-rated smart bird feeders on the market today, with user reception, industry reviews, and price being the primary influencing factors in making this list. More about our selection process is discussed at the end of this article.
Bird Buddy Solar-Powered Smart Bird feeder
The Bird Buddy Solar-Powered Smart Bird Feeder – perhaps the most widely-known smart bird feeder out there — has become a fast favorite among bird lovers. With an adorable design, an interactive app, and a wide range of innovative features, it has the potential to make bird watching more convenient than ever — assuming you don't mind spending so much on a bird feeder, of course.
The Bird Buddy differs from others in its category through how it identifies visitors to your feeder. Rather than notifying you every time a bird lands, the Bird Buddy's AI deciphers what is worth reporting depending on the image quality and type of visitor. It also won't notify you instantly; rather, it will allow the AI to take a few minutes to sort through the 720p quality photos and videos and send you whichever it determines is worth sharing. Given the likelihood of your feeder having repeat visitors, this saves you from being bombarded with notifications. Additionally, Bird Buddy can identify over 1,000 bird species and hosts an in-app community where you can share your findings with fellow Bird Buddy users.
Some have noted the difficulty in mounting the Bird Buddy, as it mounts only from the bottom, and its small size can be an issue. Similarly, while the battery-operated version of the Bird Buddy does come at a slightly cheaper price than its $300 solar-powered counterpart, users have reported that the camera requires constant charging. Nevertheless, this is a widely trusted option, with platforms such as The New York Times, TechRadar, and USA Today ranking it highly among the competition.
Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera Case
Nowadays, most homes are already equipped with security cameras such as Ring Stick Up Cam Plug-In and Blink Outdoor 4, and may even have more than one lying around. If you have more of these devices than you know what to do with, placing them in a Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera Case might be a good idea. It may sound odd, but there are far worse places to install a home security camera.
Unlike other smart bird feeders that come equipped with their own cameras, the Wasserstein, as its name implies, acts as a case that houses a camera of your choice. This is a far cheaper option than many of its competitors, going for only around $50 on Amazon. Similarly, since you only have to connect your camera's system, there's no need for any additional apps related specifically to the Wasserstein, saving you time and money on additional subscriptions or features. The feeder is simple yet sturdy and easy to refill while being compatible with a wide range of cameras and solar panels.
The downside is that the quality of your captures depends entirely on your camera. While many security cameras can record crystal clear videos in 1080p, they don't offer the same identification features as cameras made especially for bird-watching. Still, if you aren't looking for too many bells and whistles with your smart bird feeder, the Wasserstein Bird Feeder is a great choice. Customers have been largely pleased by its simple design and ease of use, resulting in a 4.3 rating on Amazon, although some have experienced difficulty in getting it fastened.
Netvue Birdfy AI Smart Feeder
The Netvue Birdfy AI Smart Feeder brings together many of the best smart bird feeder traits — while harboring some neat advancements of its own — to create a well-rounded and versatile device. Its camera shoots in stunning 1080p quality with intense magnification abilities during both day and even night with a special color night vision mode. The camera is also easy to adjust depending on the size of the birds you're trying to capture and comes equipped with a 5dBi antenna, allowing for an even stronger Wi-Fi connection across greater distances than other brands.
Its AI algorithm is equally advanced; it can identify more than 6,000 bird species while also providing detailed facts that you can read in the accompanying Netvue app. Along with notifying you of feathered friends, the app also alerts you to the presence of squirrels and lets you drive them off through a siren or speaking into the built-in microphone. Best of all, using the AI feature doesn't require a separate subscription. The feeder itself is easy to install and mount in an array of settings and holds 1.5 liters of bird seed. It withstands the elements, being IP65 weatherproof rated.
There are plenty of unique add-in features, including wider perches, a solar panel, and a hummingbird feeder. It holds a 4.5 out of five-star rating on Amazon thanks to its breezy setup, excellent camera quality, and great connectivity. The Netvue Birdfy AI Smart Feeder currently costs $169.98 on Amazon, although a cheaper lite version exists that comes without the AI identification feature.
Soliom BF08 Smart Bird Feeder
For some people, bigger is better, and in the realm of smart bird feeders, few are as sizable as the Soliom BF08-Smart Bird Feeder. Created to last while incorporating many of the most advanced features of other models, this makes for a great option that takes whatever comes its way.
The Soliom is constructed out of metal and acrylic. This gives it a heavy sturdiness uncommon in most popular smart bird feeders, coming in at over 6 pounds when full of bird seed. You'll certainly be able to fill it up, thanks to the nearly 3-liter capacity of the feeder, meaning you won't have to refill as much as other models. Its tight-locking roof, perch, and IP65 weather-resistant camera are aiding in its toughness. When tested by USA Today, the feeder was said to have withstood every critter that came its way, from birds to squirrels to raccoons.
Users can choose to connect their feeder to the Soliom app or the VicoHome: Security Camera App, although the former is where you can access Soliom's 10,000+ bird recognition AI system. Keep in mind that a cloud service subscription is needed to access both the AI features and three-day cloud storage options. Currently, the Soliom BF08 Smart Bird Feeder goes for $169.99 on Amazon.
BirdDock Hummingbird Feeder Camera
Not all our feathered friends enjoy birdseed. Hummingbirds are a special case, as these petite birds use their specially designed beaks and long tongues to slurp up nectar from flowers. While hummingbird-specific feeders have been around for some time, trying to observe these fast-fluttering flyers is especially difficult, given their intense speed. Thankfully, the BirdDock Hummingbird Feeder Camera is designed for viewing these remarkable little creatures.
The feeder features a 2-in-1 design, housing nectar for hummingbirds and seed for all other birds. The stunning 1080p day and nighttime vision camera has an especially wide angle of 165 degrees to capture an extensive scope of the area. Like many other accompanying apps, BirdDock is imbued with AI features to help identify over 10,000 bird varieties while also allowing for live streaming and real-time notifications. Additionally, it allows multiple users to connect to the device at once, making it a great choice for nature-loving families.
While sporting a solid 4.2 rating average on Amazon, with much praise going to its pristine image quality, some users have experienced issues with Wi-Fi connection and app lagging. This is likely due to it only because it only supports signals, meaning you'll have to adjust your router if it is used to working with 5.0GHz. Regardless, it still makes a solid option for those looking to get into feeding hummingbirds. The solar panel version goes for $169.99 on Amazon, but a battery-powered model is sold at Walmart for $119.99.
Why we flocked to these smart bird feeders
When selecting what would make this list, several factors were considered. A diverse range of smart bird feeders was of utmost importance. While most of these feeders possess similar features, such as AI identification, solid camera quality, and weatherproof capabilities, we still ensured each one brought something different to the table one way or another. Whether it sports an especially sturdy design, contains interactive app features, or caters to a specific bird species, a varied assortment of bird feeders means that there's likely at least one pick on this list that will fit your situation.
Even if being budget-friendly wasn't the leading determining factor of this list, we still wanted to ensure that everything on here was fairly affordable. The picks on this list range in price from $50 to $300 to best conform to varying budgets. Regardless of price, we want to make sure that you're getting the best bang for your buck, which is where our eye for quality took over. No choice on this list sports anything lower than a 4.2 out of five-star Amazon rating, showing that customers have been mainly pleased with their purchase. Likewise, we also turned to trusted platforms such as the New York Times, Country Living, USA Today, TechRadar, and more, all of which recommended one or more of these brands, usually after a rigorous testing period.