I Turned My Backyard Into a Nature Documentary With a Flock of Smart Bird Feeders

A lower maintenance way to enjoy birds in your yard, this recycled-plastic birdbath comes outfitted with a dual-lens camera sending 1080p photos and 2K video via the Birdfy app and using the app’s AI for bird identification. With the IP66-rated birdbath’s sturdy metal base (you can buy it for less without) and solar-powered battery and fountain pump, all I had to do was make sure the 3.5-liter, 1.65-inch reservoir was topped off with water. Theoretically. In reality, it only took 24 hours for me to realize this new toy was not actually serving as a birdbath in my yard but as a high-traffic hand-washing station for raccoons. This still would have been an entertaining experience had it not been for the same problem that plagued Birdfy’s Pro Duo feeder: a constantly dropping camera connection. Even when the birdbath was stationed directly outside the wall where my router was, the camera would go offline at least once a day—sometimes multiple times a day. Rebooting remedied the issue for another 12 hours or so, but then it went right back offline. Like the Pro Duo, this is an otherwise quality-made and -engineered product, and I’m hoping Birdfy can work out the camera kinks.

Birdfy’s flagship upgrade for 2025, winner of this year’s CES Innovation Award and an American Good Design Gold Award, is unique in its category. There’s one dual-lens front-facing camera (2-MP/1080p wide angle and 3-MP/2K portrait) and one 2-MP/1080p side camera, and both capture sharp, highly detailed video with high-quality sound. The front-facing camera will even pan and crop to ensure it’s focused on a bird. (Note that there’s also a cheaper, single-camera version of the Feeder 2 that we haven’t tested.) The feeder’s IP66-rated plastic body, which has held up very well in Pacific Northwest winter weather, is wall-, pole-, or tree-mountable. An auxiliary solar panel and lifetime AI bird identification are both included. The reservoir holds slightly less seed than the original plastic Birdfy, at 42 ounces vs. Birdfy 1’s 50 ounces. Like the original Birdfy, there were some issues with non-bird movement triggering the camera, but overall I was impressed with both the image quality and the Birdfy app’s updated AI identification. That said, both cameras repeatedly dropped connections during my two-month testing period, even though I was using the required 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi network (Birdfy cameras cannot run on 5 GHz). The solar panel, which must be mounted separately, also failed to keep the cameras consistently charged in cloudy weather.

The Beako is one of the more thoughtfully designed bird feeders I’ve tested. The plastic seed reservoir is removable from the IP65 body for refilling, so you don’t have to take the whole thing down; the 3-watt solar panel can mount onto the back for pole installation; and the 8 MP photos and 4K HD video are much better quality than you’ll find from competitors. The whole setup is fully functional without a subscription, though one is necessary to access all features. I also like that the videos record as long as a bird is doing something interesting, even if it’s several minutes long. The only downside is that the solar panel stopped working after about six weeks. However, I’m currently testing Beako’s new model that has a built-in solar roof.

This Amazon feeder’s app leaves much to be desired, but it does get major points for staying fully charged for two months with its 3-watt built-in roof solar panel, despite getting very little sun in my Pacific Northwest winter backyard. Like many inexpensive feeder cameras, most of the Harymor’s advertised features—such as AI identification and the ability to take 2K video—are hidden behind a subscription paywall ($4 a month, or $48 a year), in this case in the VicoHome app. However, even when the subscription is activated, the AI was wrong more often than it was right.

From the same makers as the Harymor bird feeder, above, the Sehmua is nearly identical to the Harymor, but without the built-in solar roof. The panel it comes with needs to be mounted separately. I was especially amused by the box it arrived in, which features a hummingbird. (This is, of course, a seed feeder.) Unlike other feeders that also require an auxiliary solar panel, the Sehmua has a weird USB-C dongle that hangs off the back; it’s not removable, and it’s used for charging the camera as well. What the Sehmua does have going for it over the Harymor, though, is much improved AI, which also links to a bird species’ Wikipedia page and gives options for corrections. It’s also fully usable out of the box with a yearlong free-trial subscription—a rarity among bird feeders in this price range—via the user-friendly Ubox app. Specs for the camera weren’t provided, but the photo and video quality are quite solid, though not as sharp as Bird Buddy’s or Birdfy’s. The field of view is also decent, at 140 degrees. There’s a lifetime free subscription version for $10 more, which Sehmua’s rep assures me is otherwise exactly the same. I also like that this one’s app labels all captures with a bird ID, so you can scroll down the day’s list and immediately see what’s worth clicking on.

This feeder’s got a dual feed bay (4.2 cups each side, for a total of 8.4 cups capacity), built-in solar panel, expandable perch, and pretty solid 4 MP photo resolution, the clarity and quality of which were on par with more expensive cameras like the Bird Buddy. There’s also an option to view video in 0.5-speed slo-mo. As with most of the cheaper cameras, however, many of the features (like AI identification and video) are hidden behind a subscription. I didn’t find the ornithologist-trained AI identification to be super accurate, and the app was overall cumbersome to use, taking a while to load and then requiring multiple steps to engage the AI feature. I also didn’t like that users must make an account that requires an address and phone number just to use the feeder, even if they’re not buying a premium plan. And if they are buying a premium plan, they can’t do it through the app store. They have to go through Feathersnap’s website, which requires entering raw credit card info—no alternative pay options like PayPal or Apple Pay—and their address once again. I also found it automatically charged my credit card at the end of the monthlong subscription feature without warning, and there was no option to stop the recurring charge other than deleting my account.

Like the Scout, FeatherSnap’s smart hummingbird feeder only supports still photos and a live feed without a subscription, which is a hassle to sign up for and difficult to cancel. It also holds up to 4 cups of nectar, but there are no instructions on how long one should leave liquid in the feeder (hummingbirds can become ill and die quickly from spoiled nectar), and that amount seems excessive for several days’ worth. That said, this is otherwise a sturdy and well-made feeder with multiple mounting options, an ant moat on top, and a convenient built-in solar panel that does a terrific job of holding a charge, even during extended cloudy periods. Despite the hassle with FeatherSnap’s subscription situation, described above, this feeder experienced no connectivity or other issues during my testing period.

One of the most unique-looking smart feeders on the market, the PeckPerk sports a teardrop shape inspired by a weaver bird nest, fronted by a 5-inch-long perch styled to look like twigs. Of particular interest to me, some of its early web copy promoted it as “squirrel proof.” I couldn’t figure out why this might be until 7 am one Saturday morning, when I heard what sounded like a tinny burglar alarm ringing somewhere beyond the bushes outside my living room window. I went outside, and lo and behold, a squirrel was sitting on the PeckPerk, munching away at a sunflower seed while a high-pitched alarm blared right in its face. I could tell this was not the first time this had happened (sorry, neighbors!), as the squirrel was completely unfazed. PeckPerk does get points for trying, though. (And it should be noted this alarm is easily disabled.) It also gets points for being exceedingly easy to fill, being one of the few feeders that can mount well on a tree or on a tripod, and having solid night vision with its 2K camera. However, not only does it require a subscription to record video and the mounting of an auxiliary solar panel, limiting where it can be placed, the app interface was extremely rudimentary compared with other feeders’ and not at all intuitive.

I expected this hummingbird feeder to look somewhat like its seed-feeder sibling, above, but other than its also using the VicoHome app, it bears absolutely zero resemblance. It’s got a funny little red umbrella-shaped top, and the box has no brand name listed. I do like that it comes with a big bottle brush and a smaller brush for the flowers, and that it has interchangeable lavender and bluish-purple flowers to go with the standard yellow. I used one of each to see if there was one our resident Anna’s hummingbirds preferred, but they seemed indiscriminately interested in all of them. Like the seed feeder, there are only still photos and live feed without an additional subscription, and I didn’t love how many false alarms seemed to be recorded. There’s an indentation on the lid that holds water for an ant moat, but since the solar panel must be mounted separately, ants could easily use the cord to reach the feeder.

Birdfy’s Hum Feeder Duo is the hummingbird feeder version of the Duo seed feeder, above. Both versions of the Hum consist of a clear, BPA-free, anti-mold bottle that screws into a red base with a trio of plastic flowers. The duo has two 3-MP 2K cameras—one front-facing and one side-facing. The cameras charge together and work together to provide a side-by-side view in the app. I had zero problems with setup—after an overnight charge, the feeder was up and running in about 10 minutes. One charge lasted a little over a week in Pacific Northwest November temperatures, though for $20 more you can spring for the solar panel add-on with a patented ant moat (I have not tried this yet). I appreciate that the app shows battery life alongside temperature and humidity, which is helpful for gauging when to replace the liquid, although a more explicit notification like Bird Buddy’s would be helpful. Like the seed feeder above, however, my testing period was not without issue. In fact, I only had the Hum up for a couple weeks before the sensor appeared to have failed, occasionally capturing wind-driven motion but failing to register any birds.

This feeder sports the same general construction as quite a few other Amazon feeders—IP65 housing, dual seed bays, solar panel that needs to be mounted separately. A subscription is needed ($3 to $10 a month) to see anything other than still photos or a live view. Like the Harymor, it uses the VicoHome app. The benefit of the IsYoung, though, is the solid photo quality and wide-angle lens. The included accessories (a suet ball, a little hummingbird nectar cup, a water dish) are also sturdier than other Amazon brands. Like other feeders of this shape, it was too unwieldy to be tree-mounted, as it leans too far forward. The marketing materials tout its bird identification, but again, a subscription is required to access this feature, as well as video capture, which at the time of testing was not clearly stated on the box.

This is a solid, well-constructed IP65 feeder that’s usable without a subscription, and I liked the loop at the top for easy hanging from a shepherd’s hook. It also has as squirrel sensor that makes comical hawk noises when it spots a rodent (it even works on rats, as I found out one unfortunate evening). But the photo resolution is not good despite being advertised as 1080p, the AI is abysmal, and the solar panel failed to charge or even supplement the battery on two test models I tried. There are much better feeders out there for half the price.

This handsome wood (what kind of wood is not specified on the box, in the manual, or from TT Nature, but it looks like pine to me) feeder from the makers of the metal squirrel-proof feeder we like (above) has the same decent 1080p picture quality and long-lasting battery, but it’s not squirrel-proof, features a separate-mount solar panel, and the “Birdty” app is frustrating to navigate. It also requires a subscription to use all its features, including AI identification, which was wrong more often than it was right and seemed to be calibrated for a subtropical climate. However, the construction is much sturdier than Birdfy’s wood version, below, so if you like the look but are willing to put up with a subpar app, this is a viable option.

This was the first smart hummingbird feeder I tested with a glass globe, which not only provides better insulation for nectar, to keep it fresh for longer, but it won’t fade or crack over time like plastic. I also liked that the hook has an ant moat. It took some trial and error to get the little bird-shaped 2K HD camera to sit at the right angle to capture the birds, but my main complaint with this feeder—other than the Birdty app, which I do not care for, and the separate-mount solar panel—is how difficult it was to clean compared with other smart hummingbird feeders. It comes with its own bottle brush, but the brush isn’t long enough to clean the curvy sides of the 26-ounce globe, the opening for which is only 1 inch wide. There’s also a gasket that needs to be cleaned, along with a two-part base and the three plastic flowers. Note that, for some reason, an identical feeder body is available on Amazon under the “BBPECO” name, and that models from established brands like Birdfy and Bird Buddy are the same price or less.

If you or a giftee is intimidated by the thought of a smart bird feeder, you may want to consider the Rookie. No subscriptions, no complicated assembly, no solar panels, no tools—just snap three plastic pieces together, charge the camera, and you’re ready to go. The whole setup reminds me of a gravity pet feeder. You’ll have the same 1080p resolution as all other basic Birdfy cameras, but here the camera is mounted from the side, so half the time you’ll only get a bird’s back or butt. There’s also no roof, so seeds will get wet in the rain (during my testing period, the lid even blew off during a gust of wind), and there’s no perch, so you’ll find some birds standing in the seed, which isn’t great for disease spread. Battery life also wasn’t stellar, down to 39 percent after only a week.

I love the style of this feeder, which looks like a contemporary condo and sports the same side-camera angle as the Rookie (left). Also like the Rookie, it’s pretty simple—1080p camera, 1.3-L seed bin—and the camera angle ends up capturing a lot of bird butts. My main problem during the testing period, however, was durability. Birdfy doesn’t specify the type of wood used in its construction, but it’s very lightweight, almost like balsa wood, and even though I had it pole mounted, it was knocked down and broken apart by squirrels within a week.