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Birdwatching is one of life’s great pleasures. Birds are beautiful and fun to watch, but you do have to keep your distance so you don’t scare them away. Smart bird feeders (i.e. bird feeders with connected cameras and apps) let you get up close and personal with the birds in your yard through captured images and real-time live views (as long as you have Wi-Fi available). They’ve become increasingly popular, with tons of options being released from name brands and Amazon clones alike. Here are the best bird feeders we’ve tested.
The apps use AI that can, in theory, identify bird species. In our tests, none have had perfectly solid identifications. However, each has advantages that you might find interesting. You can use Google Lens or, if you have an iPhone with iOS 15 or later, download the photos to your camera roll and Click on the information buttonIt does a good job of identifying birds. Although it is a work in progress, I don’t want to be without a smart bird feeder now that I’ve tried it.
Bird watching is a fairly accessible hobby. You don’t need to join a group or In fact Don’t buy anything, but if you’re interested, we have guides on the best binoculars and birding gear, with recommendations for our favorite apps, books, and accessories.
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How We Test Bird Feeders
I’ve tested a few feeders on a balcony in Texas and one in a backyard in Pennsylvania. In Texas, I set them up on a table and attached them to the railing with the included mounting straps. In Pennsylvania, I used the brackets to attach them to a post.
After I set them up, I fill them with bird seed and wait patiently for the local birds to find them. I check out all the features included in the app, see how often I get notifications, and note whether they accurately detect just birds or any kind of outdoor movement, and how well they can distinguish bird species. I take them apart and clean them, and put them back in their stands afterward. I test each one for two weeks at minimum, but usually for longer than a month, and leave them up long after official testing is over — at least until a new bird feeder arrives.
The prettiest feeder (and a plastic alternative)
Birdfy, from security company Netvue, has two feeders we recommend. This bamboo one is the prettiest, but it does require a bit of maintenance. It doesn’t have plastic parts like the other feeders on this list, and with its natural wood and black tones, it looks like it belongs in the wild. An extendable perch allows multiple birds to gather and investigate, and it has two large containers for different types of seed or the same one. The containers do get mixed up in the tray at the bottom, though. FeatherSnap Feeder Below Use separate containers and trays if preferred.
Like the other feeders on this list, it can be mounted on a pole or tree or hung from a hook. It also comes with a solar panel that can be mounted as well, so you never have to worry about charging your camera’s battery.