These Smart Bird Feeders Will Revolutionize How You Birdwatch At Home

About 59 million Americans keep a bird feeder outside their home, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With bird feeders and bird seeds being so widely accessible, it's easier than ever to enjoy watching finches or house sparrows flutter back and forth across your yard. However, The Humane Society of the United States recommends placing bird feeders either within 3 feet of a window or at least 30 feet away. Otherwise, birds may injure themselves by accidentally miscalculating the distance between your feeder and the window. These space constraints might make it difficult to observe birds up close, especially if you don't wish to place a feeder right next to your window. Luckily, the future of bird watching is here; enter smart bird feeders with built-in camera systems. These feeders will snap photos and videos of birds as they visit, but depending on the specific feeder you choose, they can do so much more! 

If you want to get to know your avian visitors up close and personal, a smart bird feeder will bring your backyard bird-watching game to new heights. Still, before settling on the right feeder for you, Wi-Fi compatibility, camera quality, durability, ease of use, and AI recognition are just some factors you'll need to consider. Certain bird feeders may even require a subscription fee to access their best features. After researching products, reading through countless reviews, and weighing the pros and cons, we settled on six smart bird feeders that will surely delight you and your bird companions.

If you're looking for a good all-around smart bird feeder, Netvue's Birdfy is a solid choice with plenty of easy-to-use features. The feeder's 1080p FHD camera is also equipped with night vision, so you can enjoy capturing high-quality videos and images of your favorite birds, even nocturnal visitors! Birdfy claims that one full charge of the feeder battery can last up to six months, although there is a solar panel sold separately, which can keep your feeder charged indefinitely. Fans of this smart bird feeder say that the Birdfy installs quickly, and the lid is easy to open and refill with a 1.5-liter capacity. On the downside, some reviewers say that the AI feature isn't always reliable and may fail to recognize birds or properly identify their species. They also say that the feeder design can allow squirrels to damage the Wi-Fi antenna or solar panel wire. 

Birdfy sells two versions of the feeder; the Lite version is currently listed at $129.99 and has an optional AI subscription sold separately. The AI version, currently priced at $169.99, has built-in species recognition with no subscription required. The AI recognition feature can help you identify over 6,000 bird species, and bird detection will send notifications directly to your phone so you never miss out on the chance to watch your favorite birds — or spot a new species!

If you've never experienced a smart bird feeder before, you might wonder, are bird feeder cameras really worth the money? For those who are skeptical about how much use they'll get out of a smart bird feeder, testing a budget-friendly option may be the best idea. Finding a decent smart bird feeder for under $100 can be challenging, but the Osoeri smart bird feeder on Amazon is a brilliant solution. Surprisingly well-made for its price, the Osoeri feeder features durable metal construction, a 1.6-liter seed capacity, a rechargeable 5200 mAh battery, and an included solar panel for seamless, constant power. 

Equipped with a 1080p HD camera and night vision, the feeder comes with free 30-day cloud storage for photos and videos. Osoeri's feeder claims to identify over 11,000 bird species with its AI tool and the app includes a service that will help you learn more about each of the birds you see. For a smart bird feeder under $100, the Osoeri feeder has very few negative reviews, although some purchasers have mentioned that the camera focus can be blurry and the battery can be slow to charge. 

Bird Buddy is one of the more popular smart bird feeders out there, but after the Bird Buddy reviews were examined, is it worth the investment for feathered friends? If you're looking for a smart feeder with a good camera, great app service, and top-notch AI features, the Bird Buddy has everything you need! The structure is also modern and lightweight, with an optional solar panel roof that offers a seamless look rather than needing to run wires around your yard. The Bird Buddy comes in two colors and is listed at $239 without the solar panel attachment.

But Bird Buddy's AI features go beyond just simple bird species recognition; you can also "collect" new species and set up alerts on home smart devices, bringing excitement to the whole family when a new feathered friend appears. The recently released Nature Intelligence update includes a "Name That Bird" feature that allows you to give nicknames to your frequent visitors, even recognizing nearby cats and alerting you when a bird appears ill or injured. The AI feature can also inform you about other wildlife that may appear, from bees to beetles and even deer. Although it offers many cutting-edge technological features, one of the surprising downsides to the Bird Buddy feeder is that it doesn't support night vision. Additionally, some people have found it difficult to mount, and the rechargeable battery only lasts up to 15 days.  

Some game cameras can be blurry, so if you want to enjoy the best high-quality images of your birdy visitors, you need the Camojojo Hibird, currently priced at $189.99. The feeder design itself is quite simple and sleek, with a 1.5-liter capacity and an adjustable perch that allows you to extend the feeder to support more birds or larger bird species. The Camojojo Hibird is easy to set up and connects directly to your home's Wi-Fi network, allowing you to stream a live view and adjust the camera settings through the HiBird app. A rechargeable 10000 mAh battery powers the device, which is also compatible with a solar panel. Like many other smart feeders, the HiBird also comes with AI bird identification, which claims to recognize over 12,000 species.

Of course, what really sets this feeder apart is its exceptional camera quality. Equipped with a Sony sensor, the camera is excellent at focusing quickly, allowing you to see the fine details of each bird that comes to visit. This sleek-looking smart bird feeder captures beautifully clear 4K videos, 32MP still images, and night vision, and even saves files to the cloud or a 128 GB micro SD card inside the camera. 

Hummingbirds are one of the most special birds to observe in your yard, but their zippy antics can make them challenging to examine up close. Even if you use the best hummingbird feeders to attract more feathered friends to your yard, you may wish for a closer look. Luckily, the Birdfy Hum Feeder, currently listed at $229, brings all the features of a smart feeder into a hummingbird-friendly form. It also has a built-in ant moat and a relatively large nectar reservoir compared to other similar smart feeders, and this reservoir is resistant to mold growth and treated for UV protection. Reviewers love that this feeder is easy to clean and even comes with a handy bottle brush. 

This feeder is equipped with two cameras, so you can see your little visitors head-on or from the side as they feed. The Birdfy Hum offers decent 2K video quality, and like the original Birdfy feeder, the Birdfy Hum uses AI to recognize over 150 different hummingbird species. One awesome advantage of the Birdfy Hum, however, is that you don't need to pay for a subscription to enjoy constant AI feedback, and the unit even comes with 30-day cloud storage. The rechargeable battery will last up to 13 days with minimal feeder activity, but of course, the Birdfy Hum also has an optional solar panel — don't worry; the solar panel wire also includes a thoughtful ant moat!

The Netvue Birdfy Bamboo Feeder uses the same 1080p FHD camera system as the original Birdfy feeder but in a much more modern and minimalistic feeder house. This unique smart feeder is currently listed on Birdfy's website for $199, and with its sleek, squared-off structure and eco-friendly bamboo material, the Birdfy Bamboo feeder effortlessly blends into its natural surroundings. This modern bird feeder is also relatively large and heavy, with a 3-liter seed capacity, so you can enjoy birds in your backyard without needing to refill so often. When it is time for a refill, the hinged roof lid is very easy to swing open, and the separated seed reservoirs allow you to offer two different seed options to your feathered friends. 

The aesthetic value of this smart bird feeder sets it apart from other products on the market, but of course, the benefits come at some cost. Some criticisms of this smart bird feeder are that the natural bamboo material may fade and lose durability as it ages, and the product's size and shape make it easy for squirrels to access. For those who like to observe a variety of wildlife in their backyard, having a few squirrels pop by for lunch may not be a major concern, but a simple squirrel baffle on the feeder post can also deter any furry thieves.