If you’ve ever tried to take a good photo of a bird on the feeder in your yard, you know how frustrating it can be. Even with a great DSLR and a birding lens, it’s a lesson in extreme patience. And then, if you’re not that familiar with the local birds, you still have to sift through websites or books to identify the species.
I have plenty of first-hand experience with these irritations from my decades of amateur birding. So when the Bird Buddy smart bird feeder came up for testing at the Good Housekeeping Institute, I flew at the chance to check it out. This smart bird feeder uses AI technology to identify birds and other creatures. Connecting with nature was a major motivating factor in the creation of the Bird Buddy, and the brand's partnership with the Audubon National Society demonstrates their commitment to responsible bird watching and bird conservation.
Based on extensive field tests from my home in New Jersey as well as a thorough evaluation of the Bird Buddy in the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, I'm happy to give the device top honors in the smart bird feeder category.
Bird Buddy Original Smart Bird Feeder with Camera
Pros
- Easily captures clear bird images
- No charge for bird identification
- Feeder takes almost 4 cups of seed
- You can view saved video of birds on other Bird Buddy feeders around the world
- App reminders to clean the feeder help protect the health of local birds
- The app is available in multiple languages
- Partnered with the National Audubon Society to further foster bird conservation
Cons
- Only connects with 2.4GHz WiFi
- Not completely squirrel-proof
- Photos must be saved to Collection to avoid being deleted after seven days
- Not every single bird visit is photographed
What’s so special about Bird Buddy?
Bird Buddy goes beyond the trappings of run-of-the-mill camera-equipped bird feeders. With its free, AI-powered companion app, Bird Buddy identifies the birds visiting my garden, transforming every visit into a photo or video “postcard” captured by its Nature Cam. Each image or clip can be saved to the app’s Collection space indefinitely. I love having the flexibility to share these postcards with the online Bird Buddy community as well as with my friends and family.
The videos record sound too which, coupled with the camera’s instant bird identification ability, helps me learn more about the beauties in my backyard. In addition, the app provides handy reminders to clean the feeder to not only ensure the clean camera lens captures the best images, but to also help prevent the spread of any disease through the bird community.
I also appreciate that the images shared through Heartbeat, Bird Buddy’s community science platform, can be used by scientists for better understanding of migratory patterns, and also how factors like climate change impact bird species. Call me lazy, but it’s pretty cool to be able to do my bit for science without actually doing anything.
The feeder’s design emphasizes responsible interaction with nature, too. The National Audubon Society has standards of ethical bird photography and the silent, motionless action of the Nature Cam is perfect for this. So while sound is recorded alongside video (which helps to identify each species), there's no speaker to mimic bird calls and falsely lure birds.
Bird Buddy Explore enriches my bird watching adventures by connecting me with up to three bird feeders from a network across the U.S. and internationally, broadening my exposure to unfamiliar feathered friends. I can save these postcards to my Collection indefinitely too.
Each feeder comes with a basic camera, known as a Nature Cam. However, Bird Buddy recently upgraded to the Nature Cam Pro, which has greater video resolution, a wide dynamic range and better low light capability. That results in better images when the lighting is less than optimal, improved focusing for exceptionally sharp close-ups and a wider field of view so you can see more of the activity on your feeder. There’s currently only a $30 difference in cost between a feeder with the Nature Cam and one with the Nature Cam Pro, so if you’re planning on purchasing, I think it's a significant upgrade that’s worth splurging on.
There are a number of accessories you can choose to add to your feeder. I chose the optional solar panel roof, which practically eliminates the need to remove the camera for manual charging. You get a slight discount if you purchase it pre-installed with your feeder. If you’d like to attract the greatest variety of birds, there is a perch extender, a suet ball holder (for birds that prefer high energy, low-waste food), and a 3-in-1 nutrition set. The water bottle attaches to the dish for jelly, and so does the fruit holder, so you can only use one or the other at the same time. To make it easier to consistently attract and feed birds, a subscription seed service is also available.
Bird Buddy also offers a hummingbird feeder, with a 180º field of view and characteristic red feeding slots. This also has an optional solar panel roof for ease of charging. For a cost-effective solution, you can share one camera between the standard feeder and the hummingbird feeder by getting the hummingbird housing. However, be aware that due to the unique design, the solar panel roof from the standard feeder cannot be used with the hummingbird housing.
Bird Buddy Original 3-in-1 Nutrition Set
Bird Buddy Original Perch Extender
Bird Buddy Original Suet Ball Holder
While there are plenty of optional additions and upgrades to purchase, the backbone of the Bird Buddy is the app. It has an optional Premium subscription ($29.99 per year, or $2.99 per month) which offers a few more features like 1080p video resolution, unlimited cloud storage for video and photo postcards, alerts if a cat is detected nearby (you might need to relocate your feeder to help protect the birds), or if a sick bird visits the feeder so you can report it to local carers. You can also use the Premium subscription to assign nicknames to your regular feathered visitors.
How to get started with the Bird Buddy Feeder
Regardless of which feeder you have, you’ll need to charge the camera. On the Nature Cam Pro, the silicone plug that protects the charging slot (essential if you don’t use the solar roof) is attached to the camera, but on the standard Nature Cam, it isn’t. Spare plugs are provided in case you lose the original. A USB-C to USB-C charging cable is provided to plug into your laptop; you’ll need an adapter (not provided) to plug it into the wall.
It was very easy to download the app to my phone and set up my account. It took me a few attempts to connect with the standard Nature Cam via Bluetooth. The camera mode light is located right by the protruding on/off button but is very faint, and if you’re in a well-lit space, you need to shield it. With the Nature Cam Pro, the light is quite bright.
Once charged, I installed the Nature Cam in the feeder with the lens closest to the base, and used the included scoop to fill the feeder with about four cups of seed.
The feeder must be situated within range of your Wi-Fi connection (note that it only connects to 2.4GHz) and if you’re using the solar panel roof, it needs access to direct sunlight. Also, make sure the camera is not facing the sun or something bright, if you want it to recognize the most birds and capture the best shots.
A metal hanger makes it easy to hang the Bird Buddy on a hook for a hanging basket. Depending on the model you get, a universal mount for the top of a pole or similar area and a wall mount are available.
My experience with the Bird Buddy Feeder
After a couple of days of no activity, birds and squirrels finally started visiting the Bird Buddy in my yard. Initially, they hunkered at the edge of the feeder, and the images captured then were not great. But within a few days, their confidence grew and they took center stage. The app alerted me about a new visitor, and created video and photo postcards I could save to the Collection. However, the camera didn’t capture every bird encounter, and while the app attempted to name each creature, if the visit was too fleeting, it occasionally either misidentified it or gave up and captioned it “unrecognized.”
It was easy enough though to properly identify the bird by following instructions on the website if I knew the species. Despite this, through very little effort on my part, I have great photos that I can share with my friends and loved ones, and can also choose to share them with the Bird Buddy community to help with their conservation efforts. The video clips capture sound too (with great clarity) and last from around 30 seconds to two minutes, depending on how long the birds stay on the feeder.
I can also take my own photos, if I notice activity on the feeder. If I tap on the “live” icon on the app, I can view the feeder in real time and snap away. Once I’ve selected the images I like best, I can send a request through the app for them to be identified.
One thing I learned pretty quickly was that postcards are deleted in seven days, even if you share them with friends, unless you specifically save them to your Collection. But an added perk is that when I revisited the saved postcards in my Collection, the app shares additional facts about the birds, which helped me learn even more about them.
Through Bird Buddy Explore, I connected with three different feeders around the world, and it was wonderful to see a Bananaquit up close and personal from a feeder in Santiago, Panama. I can switch between viewing different feeders located in so many different countries, and within the USA.
I tested the Pro subscription, which provides higher resolution for the photos and found the images were a nice, high-quality upgrade. And although the Bird Buddy has the ability to alert me if there’s a cat in the area, one has yet to venture close to the feeder. I was also unable to test its ability to call out a sick or injured bird as one hadn't visited my backyard.
How do you care for the Bird Buddy Feeder?
The Bird Buddy can stay out year round, but you should bring the camera indoors if temperatures dip below 4ºF or rise above 120ºF. On average, the camera can last up to a month without charging. With the optional solar roof, and plentiful direct sunlight, you’ll rarely need to manually charge it.
Wipe the camera lens every now and then for the best pictures. When the app reminds you to clean the feeder, remove the camera unit, and use a damp soft cloth to clean it.
The app has a detailed cleaning instructions video that guided me. The process is simple: disassemble the front and rear windows, and perch, and wash them with a soft brush and warm soapy water, before rinsing well. Wipe off grime with a wet soft cloth or sponge, and rinse well. To clean the solar panel, simply spray with water, and let it dry - no need to scrub, or use chemicals. Ensuring the charging port is clean is also important - use a vacuum with a small nozzle or a wooden toothpick to gently dislodge any debris.
Make sure everything is completely dry before you reassemble the feeder and solar panel roof (if you have one). Reinstall the camera (plug the charger port if you’re not using a solar panel), and then fill the feeder with seed.
Is the Bird Buddy worth it?
I say absolutely, it's worth it. With the Bird Buddy smart bird feeder, I have a great collection of video and photo postcards of birds taken on my own feeder and others which have been identified for me. They remain on my camera and on my mobile device and I can effortlessly share with friends, family or the Bird Buddy community. I don't have to be glued to the window, and can even watch the feeder live from the app, always staying connected to my vibrant visitors.
Bird Buddy’s website has helped me get the most out of the feeder, including instructions for cleaning and caring for it and hints for discouraging unwanted visitors like squirrels.
I like that Bird Buddy encourages noticing and caring about nature around us. Reddit’s r/BirdBuddy community of 12,000 members, and Facebook's Bird Buddy group with over 58,000 followers not only share photos but also review and comment about the feeder’s functionality, which seems to drive product development. It's clear that Bird Buddy owners love their product and enjoy the photos they can share, and I share their enthusiasm.
Why trust Good Housekeeping
Always driven to figure out how things work, Lynn Redmile has been testing and evaluating products for the Good Housekeeping Institute for over a decade, and collaborates with Lab experts to research, test and report on the latest innovations, including smart bird feeders. She installed the Bird Buddy at her home to test it in a real world environment, and consulted with the Good Housekeeping Institute’s team of experts.
Lynn Redmile (she/her) is a contributing product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she's been evaluating nutrition, fitness, travel services, beauty, textiles, home, pet, and cleaning products since 2012. She is passionate about figuring out how things work and experiencing their full potential, and brings over three decades of data analysis and project management experience to the role.
