Best Bird Feeders With Cameras, Tested and Reviewed (2024)

Bird watching is one of life’s great pleasures. The birds are beautiful and fun to watch, but you have to keep your distance so as not to scare them away. Smart bird feeders (i.e., bird feeders with cameras and connected apps) can give you a close-up view of the birds in your backyard through captured images and instant live views (as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection). They’re becoming more and more popular, with huge options coming out from both well-known brands and Amazon clones. These are the best bird feeder cameras we’ve tried.

These apps use artificial intelligence and can theoretically identify bird species. In our tests, no one had completely reliable identification. Still, each approach has advantages that may appeal to you. You can use google lens Or, if your iPhone is running iOS 15 or later, download the photo to your Camera Roll and Click the information button. It does a great job of identifying birds. Even though this is a work in progress, now that I’ve experienced it, I don’t want to be without a bird feeder camera.

Birding as a hobby is easy to achieve. You don’t have to join a group or real Buy anything but if you are interested we have about best binoculars and The best bird watching gearrecommending our favorite apps, books, and accessories.

Update December 2024: We’ve added Netvue Birdfy’s Feeder 2 Duo and Hum Feeder Duo, and updated the entire link and price.

Table of contents

Unrestricted access at startup wired. Getting top-notch reporting is too important to ignore $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe now.

How we test bird feeders

Former Wired commentator Medea Giordano tested some feeders on a balcony in Texas and one in a backyard in Pennsylvania. In Texas, she placed them on a table and attached them to the railing with the included mounting straps. In Penn, she uses a bracket mount to attach to a pole. Wired reviewer Kate Merck tested the feeder in a rural suburb of southwestern Washington state. The feeder can be mounted directly to the house using the included bracket, or it can be hung from a shepherd’s hook mounted on the house’s siding.

Once set up, we all filled them with bird seeds (or a 4 to 1 nectar mixture of granulated sugar and water) and waited patiently for the local birds to come looking for them. We examined all included app features to see how often we received notifications and noted whether they accurately captured birds or any type of outdoor activity, and how well they distinguished bird species. We disassembled and cleaned them and put them back on the stand. We test each project for at least two weeks, but often last more than a month.

The prettiest feeders (and plastic alternatives)

Birdfy, from security company Netvue, Two feeders we recommend. This type of bamboo is the best looking but requires some maintenance. It doesn’t have plastic parts like other feeders on this list, and with its black color and natural wood tone, it looks like it belongs in nature. A retractable perch allows multiple birds to gather and investigate, and it has two large bins that can store different types of seeds or seeds of the same type. However, these bins are mixed in the bottom tray. this FeatherSnap feeder below If you prefer, you can use separate bins and trays.

Like other feeders on this list, it can be mounted on a pole or tree or hung from a hook. It also comes with a solar panel that can be mounted so you don’t have to think about charging your camera battery.

As beautiful as a bamboo feeder is, it does require maintenance. Birdfy notes that the feeder is IP65 waterproof and is mold and rot resistant. However, the owner’s manual states that it needs to be sealed. through RedditBirdfy recommends using sealed Bird Safe Wood Sealer. I can’t comment directly on its durability because when I tested this feeder, I used it on a table on my covered balcony.

Plastic, while not as pretty as wood, is more durable and easier to clean. Birdfy’s plastic houses are another great option to consider and are often on sale. Not all bundles come with solar panels, but you can Purchase separately.