Strangely Maybe see or know someone with a smart bird feeder. They can get along quite recognizable with clear housing, cameras, and solar panels, maybe a friend or family member sends you a photo or video of a bright goldfinch or a handsome woodpecker (incriminal). So the question at this point is whether these things are real Price tag worth more than $100. Are they really durable? What about the squirrel problem?
Fortunately, we have been testing the most popular smart bird feeder models, including Netvue’s original Birdfy feeder ($135) and Bird Buddy’s new professional model ($199), For months, in the rain, snow and heat, there are continuous squirrels in the yard. We’ve explored the app and notification settings, installed any optional solar panels, and used everything from Cornell Lab’s About Birds and Google Lens and our own local expertise to verify the accuracy of AI recognition.
Updated June 2025: We have added two options for Feathersnap, Birdfy’s New Bath Pro and Camojojo Hibird.
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Overall best
This cheerful blue house or yellow roof feeder from security company Netvue is the front smart feeder for the first smart feeder of the Medea Giordano in 2022. Both metrics have improved since then – I was impressed with the Birdfy App’s AI when I tested the upgraded 2 duos (see below), and the feeder is usually sold for $200 or less. If you pay $20 more, you will get a lifetime subscription to AI ID, which is a reliable deal. Without it, it costs $5 a month. This is the reliability and ease of use of the breeders of elderly parents I bought for Christmas on Amazon Prime Day sale, although like Medea, they weren’t impressed with AI. That said, I’ve tested feeders from multiple brands and AI won’t work perfectly given the huge differences in lighting, shadows and camera cleanliness. Unlike some brands, Birdfy’s AI works more frequently than it does not have.
Medea found that the 1080p wide-angle camera picks up more action from non-birds, so you may get a lot of notifications based on where you are placed. However, if you want to have a bird/security camera hybrid, this may be exactly what you want, especially since it provides night vision in colors. The IP65 plastic construction also makes the feeder durable and easy to clean, and the 50-ounce seed reservoir is easier to fill than the bird buddy with a convenient flip top. Not all bundles come with solar panels, but you can buy them separately. Unlike other feeders, the solar panels are not built-in and must be installed and connected separately with the included 9.8-foot charging cable. (Birdfy comes with a pole, wall-mounted mount and tree strap.)
Optimal connectivity
Photo: Kat Merck
Camojojo
Hibird 4K HD smart bird feeder with camera
If your router only allows 5 GHz Wi-Fi, you may feel like you’re missing the craze of bird feeding cameras, as most cameras only run on 2.4 GHz. Fortunately for you, there is a feeder that not only runs at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, but it is one of the most feature-rich and reliable I’ve tested. It has a solid body, 4K Ultra-HD video, 1080p photos, which include a 128 GB SD card, and no subscription required. (Although there may be changes, Hibird’s Rep tells me that due to the overhead and development of the brand is unsustainable.) It’s easy to set up out of the box, with clear instructions and a spacious 1.5-liter feed container for easy filling. Artificial intelligence is OK, between Amazon brands and more established companies like Bird Buddy and Birdfy. The app isn’t the most morale either, the chat-style “Bird Dr.” problem features are a bit cliché, but everything else is done very well, and the photo and video quality is really top-notch.
