Bird Buddy review: is this smart feeder worth the hype for bird lovers?

Smart home gadgets are becoming increasingly popular, and the growing market is expanding into new niches every day. Backyard birdwatching is one of those niches with big potential, given how many people enjoy watching birds.

Bird Buddy started as a Kickstarter-funded project, and the smart gadget is now in its second generation. It features a unique blend of technology and environmental care. The smart feeder features a motion sensor camera with video and photo capabilities, a smart app with AI functionalities, and bird recognition.

Like any other gadget with a smart tag, the Bird Buddy feeder has some unique features and advantages, but it can also fall short compared to the ideal smart feeder. After my detailed research and insights from the Cybernews research team, I’ll walk you through everything I learned about the Bird Buddy bird feeder.

Quick overview of Bird Buddy

Bird Buddy upgraded the camera from its first iteration, and you can now capture attractive stills and videos of bird encounters. Before I dive into specifics, here is a quick overview of what Bird Buddy brings to your backyard.

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What is the Bird Buddy?

If you are a birder or ornithologist like almost a third of American adults, you know the challenges of taking quality pictures of feathered friends. Even with a high-quality DSLR camera and a perfect stakeout, you can still spend considerable time waiting for the ideal shot. In this Bird Buddy review, I examine how this innovative gadget can improve your bird-watching experience.

Bird Buddy is an AI-powered smart bird feeder with a built-in camera. It’s designed to capture close-up photos and videos of visiting birds, and you can purchase various add-ons, such as a perch, to improve your chances of getting better poses and attracting more birds. The company upgraded the original Bird Buddy smart feeder with a better camera, making it easier to insert and remove the camera module from the feeder.

The camera connects to a smartphone app, which, among other features, identifies bird species and allows you to store your photos and videos permanently. You can customize how often the camera captures photos, with Power Saver being the lowest and Feeding Frenzy being the most frequent option.

While you can use the feeder for free, a subscription tier is available that offers higher-resolution video (1440p). The free tier offers the same 2K video resolution with a lower bit rate.

Pros and cons of Bird Buddy

Now that you have a general idea about the product, let's move on to the Bird Buddy review. Here are some of the top advantages and drawbacks of this smart feeder.

Bird Buddy review

The Bird Buddy smart bird feeder combines a classic feeder with camera functionality, enhanced with AI, to elevate the experience and capture interactions with birds. I will go through the build quality, main features, and the quality of images and videos.

Design and hardware

The design remained the same throughout both generations. It has a recyclable plastic birdhouse, a camera enclosure, and a feeder that can hold almost four cups of seeds. A light 1.3-pound device has a relatively spacious feeder and perch, but you could increase the width with a perch extender. The birdhouse casing is available in blue and yellow colors. The product, along with the upgraded 5MP camera, features an IP67 rating, ensuring that rain will not interfere with its operation. You should bring the camera indoors when temperatures are below 4°F or above 120°F.

Battery life is one of the essential traits, and you can significantly improve it with the addition of a solar panel. You can purchase it with a solar panel already installed, or add one later. You can expect up to one month on one charge, and longer with the solar panel. Bird Buddy has a small opening for filling the feeder, and it appears to be sensitive to the touch. Overall, the build quality seems excellent and durable. You can hang the birdhouse with a metal triangle on a branch or other available spots in the backyard, and Bird Buddy also comes with a pole mount.

Features

If you're a bird-watching enthusiast, the smart feeder will enhance your collection of photos and videos of birds in your area. The accompanying app will notify you in real-time if a bird comes to the feeder. However, my research showed that the camera doesn’t activate as frequently as in some other products. You can set the frequency to one of three tiers: Power Save, Standard, or Feeding Frenzy. You can also select Live mode, which allows you to capture images and videos independently.

However you get the pictures, Bird Buddy offers AI bird recognition. The app automatically recognizes the bird, although if your visitor is out of the frame, in poor lighting conditions, or there is motion blur, it may categorize your bird as uncategorized. Recognized birds are in your Home tab in the postcard interface, with the species name underneath and the option to find out more about that specific variety. You will get 20GB of cloud storage for pictures and videos. The app allows you to share your images with friends on social media. The app interface has Home, Collections, BB TV, and Settings tabs. To save a picture, you will need to save it manually on the Collection tab. Bird Buddy TV tab allows you to view video clips from other feeders around the world.

Video and photo quality

If you’re facing a Bird Buddy vs Birdfy dilemma, the camera might tilt the scale in Bird Buddy's favor. The camera features a taller 3:4 aspect ratio and utilizes a type 1/2.7 sensor, offering an ultrawide 122-degree viewing angle. The free tier allows you to record 2K video, limited to 30fps, along with audio.

The subscription will boost the frame rate and deliver Ultra-quality encoding. You can also record slow-motion videos, which have significantly lower quality. Bird Buddy captures 5MP pictures, and both video and stills are perfect for social media feeds.

Video also features HDR capabilities, making this feeder stand out among competitors in terms of quality. If you use Live mode, you can take the photos and videos yourself. However, there could be some lag, so you might be late for birds that are moving along quickly.

Bird Buddy review: user experience

As always, I examine user reviews, as they can reveal long-term issues and challenges associated with each product. Some Bird Buddy users complain about the app's quality, feeder placement, and performance in low-light conditions.

While Bird Buddy might miss some notifications, the quality of the pictures is higher than in some competitors, so you can live with occasional missed bird visitors.

Perch extender is a must buy, according to user reviews as the birds are few inches further away from the camera, so you will get even better images.

Bird Buddy may experience issues during setup and syncing with your smartphone. Additionally, the app lacks some customization options. For example, you can’t customize notifications and turn them off for a specific species.

The smart feeder doesn’t always detect birds and may send fewer notifications compared to the number of birds that visit. Some users have also noticed that AI doesn’t always recognize birds and struggles to distinguish between males and females.

Things to know before buying Bird Buddy

If you want a steady stream of bird pictures, here are some key considerations to keep in mind before making a purchase.

• Requires outdoor Wi-Fi. The camera connects to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network, and you will need to extend the network's range to the desired location for feeder placement. You can check our guide to the best Wi-Fi routers to boost your coverage.
• App subscription costs (if any). To unlock advanced features, such as 2K Ultra resolution, access to all remote Bird Buddy feeders around the globe, unlimited cloud storage, and more, you will need to subscribe to Premium, which costs $6 per month.
• Birds might take time to find and trust the feeder. Most birds and wild animals are highly suspicious and careful. You will have to wait for a while before you receive any notifications or hear birds chirping and eating seeds.
• The mounting location matters for both camera angle and lighting. Ensure the camera is directed away from the sun to avoid contrast issues caused by light. Ideally, the camera should face north and have ample light from behind.

How to get started Bird Buddy

You will start by unboxing the light and a relatively small feeder. Before finding the perfect spot, you must complete a few steps.

1. First, charge the camera. The device comes with a USB-C charging cable, but with no outlet adapter, so you could plug it into your laptop.
2. Once it’s full, download the smartphone app and pair it with the camera. The app requires setting up an account, and you will need to pair the phone and camera via Bluetooth, which may require a few attempts.
3. If the camera is charged and paired with the app, you can now install it into the feeder with the lens facing the base. Find the best mounting spot within the range of your Wi-Fi network, avoiding direct sunlight. The metal hanger allows easy installation on a hook, branch, or similar positions.
4. Bird Buddy comes with a seed feeder. Now it’s time to fill it with bird seeds.
5. With the Bird Buddy feeder installed in a preferred location, arm yourself with patience and wait for your first bird visit notification.

Tips for taking care of your Bird Buddy

This smart gadget is designed for outdoor use, which means you will need to take steps to care for the feeder.

• Clean the camera lens regularly. The idea behind the Bird Buddy is to get the best possible pictures of your feathered visitors. Rain, dust, and seeds can create stains, smudges, or block the view. Ensure you clean the lenses regularly to achieve the best possible performance from the camera.
• Refill birdseed often. Clean your feeder at least every two weeks to remove old or moldy seed, as those could harm the birds.
• Protect from extreme weather. While the smart bird feeder has an IP67 rating, it is recommended to take it down in high winds. Additionally, extreme temperatures can damage the camera, so it is recommended to take the feeder indoors if the temperature falls below 4°F or exceeds 120°F.
• Update firmware and app regularly. The smartphone app is the focal point of the user experience, and it should be updated periodically. The same goes for the camera firmware. The camera update is available under the Settings tab in the mobile app.

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Final word on Bird Buddy review

Bird Buddy combines a classic bird feeder with smart functionalities. The device can automatically take pictures and videos of birds feeding on the seeds, and send you notifications. Although it may not be the perfect product, you'll get a front-row view of amazing feathered friends from your area. The smartphone app utilizes AI to identify the species, allowing you to learn about their features, habits, and a few fun facts about your visitors within the app.

The Bird Buddy is worth it for bird lovers and curious homeowners. It may be best suited for tech-savvy users, families looking to learn more about nature, and nature enthusiasts. It can also be a nice gift for someone's backyard.

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