Looking for a bird feeder with camera
March 31, 2024 5:59 AM   Subscribe

I am looking for a bird feeder with a camera and connectivity. It's a gift for an avid backyard birdwatcher, and they want to receive push notifications when a bird uses the feeder. They are comfortable with cleaning the feeder, stocking it with seed, and keeping non-avian critters such as raccoons and squirrels away from the feeder. They strongly prefer a setup which I can install once and then basically forget about — I only see them a few times each year.

We want:

* WiFi-connected camera
* smartphone app, to receive notifications from camera
* available for purchase and delivery in the US
* solar charging — this will be in a yard, several meters from the house and without access to mains power

The feeder (amazon link) I installed for them a few months ago failed utterly. We'd all prefer something that lasts longer!

Please share your recommendations for something I can buy and install on my next visit!
I'm also open to hearing "no decent off-the-shelf solution exists" with evidence :)
posted by lasagnaboy to Home & Garden (4 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: We have a Bird Buddy that does all these things. The only regular maintenance that it needs is cleaning the solar panel off so it keeps charging. Birds are dirty lol. We got ours via Kickstarter but it's now available for retail. We love it!
posted by wellifyouinsist at 6:09 AM on March 31, 2024 [3 favorites]


Best answer: I have a friend with a Bird Buddy and except for the part where birds didn’t visit for the first 6 months (they do now), he’s very happy with it!
posted by A Blue Moon at 6:17 AM on March 31, 2024 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I got my mom a Bird Buddy and it works great. I live far away but have the app on my phone and am buzzed every time a bird stops by. It even IDs the birds for you. The photos and videos are REALLY good. The company has one now for hummingbirds and I'm very tempted to get it.
posted by Toddles at 8:22 AM on March 31, 2024


Response by poster: Thank you all — Bird Buddy it is!
posted by lasagnaboy at 1:37 PM on March 31, 2024


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