Birds in the wild and their many species, all full of colors and shapes, are so much fun to watch. But it is often difficult to carve out the minutes from a busy day to dedicate to a bit of “watch time.” With technologies becoming more sophisticated by the day, it’s fun to discover that an enterprising company has married a traditional bird feeder with an internet-enabled camera with alerts to give you instant access to a feeding bird.
The Bird Buddy feeder is a small but tough plastic set that can sit on a pole, hang from a tree, or even attach to an outside wall of your house (if there are no distractions that could scare a bird from landing). The feeder has a molded trough that is constantly kept filled by stored seed within the clear housing. The housing is lightweight, weather-resistant, and designed to be safe for birds.
A Digital Eye On The Birdie
Attached to the housing is a focus-point, smart high-resolution camera module that will identify the bird on your feeder perch and also alert you via your smart phone that one is feeding. You can also video the bird activity and even live stream it for others. The photo capability is set at 5 mega-pixels, and the video is set at 720p. The packed-in microphone provides clear audio. The camera delivers a 120-degree field of view and is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with an included USB-C cable for recharge. The wi-fi connectivity of the camera is available on 2.4 GHz and via bluetooth. The battery has a charge span of around 15 days with minimal video streaming: five or more days depending on active and continuous streaming.
You can also bling up the feeder with add-ons, such as an attachable solar roof to keep the camera charged, an extendable perch for the fussier and larger birds, a suet-ball holder, a rotating wall mount, and a package that includes a jelly holder, a water bottle, and a fruit stake to add an orange to the feeding regimen. The downloadable app allows up to three people to connect to your camera so they can also watch the action. (There is a pro subscription that allows for up to 10 people to connect to your unique camera.)
The company maintains a growing database of activity the moment it happens. This network captures photos and shares them with those who visit the website. More importantly, photo captures can help the company contribute migratory information to those who can take advantage of the information.
For hummingbird fans, the company is prepping the release of a similarly decked-out feeder designed exclusively for hummingbirds. This unit and its separately available add-ons can currently be pre-ordered.
