Amazon’s Spring Sale Is Blooming With Smart Bird Feeders | WIRED

Overview

These Are the Smart Bird Feeders I'd Buy in Amazon's Spring Sale

After testing smart bird feeders year-round for WIRED for almost two years, I've discovered many things I don't like: models that consist of a basic security camera—and a security camera app—in a generic smart feeder shell. The ability to only collect still photos without paying for a yearly subscription. No indication of a required subscription in the online description or on the box. AI identification that seems calibrated to other countries. Solar charging panels that don't work. There are a lot of smart bird feeders out there, and many are great, but if you aren't familiar with them, it's not always easy to tell what features are worth paying attention to.

Details

Buying an unresearched smart feeder on Amazon can be dicey, as many companies will pay users to post a positive review or retract negative reviews. In my guide to the Best Smart Bird Feeders, I only feature smart bird feeders I have personally used in my own yard for at least four weeks and find easy to use right out of the box, reliable, fun, and a good value—models I would buy myself or give as a gift.

I was happy to see that a few of my favorites are included in Amazon's Big Spring Sale (now through March 31), including the fun Birdfy Bath Pro, which I'm currently retesting after some early connection failures, and the new-to-me Birdfy Nest Duo smart birdhouse. Note that while this is the best time of year to enjoy a bird feeder, these prices aren't the best you'll find all year—if you're only buying for a deal, I'd still wait for Prime Day or Black Friday.

This isn't too far off from the price Birdfy's original feeder sits at a lot of the year, but this is peak bird-feeding time, so if you want to ensure you'll get lots of action, the time to buy is now. This is always the smart feeder I recommend for having the best performance and features for the lowest price. It's easy to set up and fill; connectivity and reliability are solid; and while the app isn't the most advanced, especially if you don't have the subscription, it will show you every capture, so you can ensure you're not missing any visits.

I recommend springing for the version with the solar panel, as bringing it inside to charge every couple of weeks gets old fast. The panel not being built into the roof is not ideal, but it does include hardware to mount it to a pole, if that's how you like to site your feeders (and it should be, if you're looking to avoid squirrels). The on-sale version doesn't come with lifetime AI recognition, but it's still perfectly usable without. For me, AI ID is a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have—it's easy enough to just take a screenshot of a bird you don't know and paste it into Google Lens. For this model, you can choose from either a yellow or blue roof. Wall, pole, or tree mount only. Skip if: You want to hang your smart feeder; you need a sturdier material like thicker plastic or metal; you need to use 5 GHz Wi-Fi; you want photo quality beyond 1080p.

and it should be, if you're looking to avoid squirrels

Kiwibit's newly retitled Bird Feeder 2 (formerly the Beako) is an extremely sturdy, well-engineered unit that has been a reliable presence in my long-term testing. If you know you like using a smart bird feeder and are ready for an upgrade in photo and video quality, Kiwibit offers some of the best you'll find (8 MP and 4K, respectively). The solar panel built into the roof also does a great job of keeping the 5200 m Ah battery charged, even in cloudy weather. The generously sized (1.5 L) dual-feed seed hopper can be lifted out for filling, which is much easier than taking down the whole feeder.

Kiwibit's app won't win any awards, but it's easy enough to use, and best of all, the whole setup is fully functional without a Kiwibit Plus subscription. However, you'll need to spring for one (

4/month or

47/year, purchasable through the Kiwibit app) if you want all features, including longer video recording, AI ID, and longer-term cloud storage. This feeder is wall, pole, or tree mount only. Skip if: You want to hang your smart feeder; you want to buy from a more established company to ensure ongoing app support; you need to use 5 GHz Wi-Fi; you aren't sure the recipient will use it (in which case, go for a cheaper feeder).

If you still want to watch birds but would rather not deal with seed mess and squirrel damage, you might consider a smart bird bath. In the first season that I tested the easy-to-assemble Bath Pro, I experienced regular connection issues, so I couldn't outright recommend it. However, I've had it out for a few weeks so far for this season, and the issues I had last year seem to have corrected themselves with a firmware update. (Another reason to only buy smart feeders from reputable, established companies.) The solar-powered pump doesn't always work in cloudy weather, but I've found some birds seem to prefer it when the pump is off and not making noise. Also, keep in mind the plastic basin is shallow, so during warm weather, you'll want to clean it often to avoid algae buildup. You can buy the bath by itself, or with a matching painted metal stand. Skip if: You live somewhere hot and dry and don't want to refill multiple times a day; you need to use 5 GHz Wi-Fi; you can only site it beneath trees that drop leaves or debris, as this will clog the filter.

Honestly, this is an abysmal discount, but I've been enjoying this nest box so much this season I have to mention it. I tried Birdfy's Polygon smart nest last year, but struggled with connection issues and the fact that the single camera made an audible click every time it turned on. This box has the same app interface, but instead sports two small, unobtrusive 2 MP cameras with microphones—one facing the entrance, and one focused on inside, so you can have a full-spectrum view (and audio) of goings-on. It also comes with different hole sizes and metal predator guards to prohibit chewing around the hole, as well as a remote control for resetting or recharging the camera without disturbing any residents.

So far, I've only had interest from chickadees and one unfortunate visit by a starling, but even the brief visits have been fun to watch. I'm a little worried that the cavity is too large for my local birds—something I worried about with the Polygon as well—but only time will tell. Note that, unlike the Polygon, the Duo comes with a solar panel that must be mounted separately, but it's done a great job charging in the month or so it's been in my yard. Pole, tree, or wall mount only. Skip if: You need to use 5 GHz Wi-Fi; you want higher-resolution images; birds in your area prefer a smaller cavity.

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Key Takeaways

These Are the Smart Bird Feeders I'd Buy in Amazon's Spring Sale
After testing smart bird feeders year-round for WIRED for almost two years, I've discovered many things I don't like: models that consist of a basic security camera—and a security camera app—in a generic smart feeder shell
Buying an unresearched smart feeder on Amazon can be dicey, as many companies will pay users to post a positive review or retract negative reviews
I was happy to see that a few of my favorites are included in Amazon's Big Spring Sale (now through March 31), including the fun Birdfy Bath Pro, which I'm currently retesting after some early connection failures, and the new-to-me Birdfy Nest Duo smart birdhouse
This isn't too far off from the price Birdfy's original feeder sits at a lot of the year, but this is peak bird-feeding time, so if you want to ensure you'll get lots of action, the time to buy is now