AI Bird Feeders Are The Latest Tech Toy You Didn't Know You Needed
Bird Buddy, a smart camera bird feeder, uses an AI-powered camera feeder to detect when birds land, identifies the species, takes their photos and organizes them in a collection. (Photo by) Getty Images
A funny thing happened on the way to mass bird extinction: Backyard bird feeders like, Bird Buddy and Birdfy, started booming.
It makes sense if you pull out your binoculars. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, North America has lost nearly three billion birds since 1970. Yet during that same bleak period, birdwatching (especially the backyard variety) has become something of a national obsession. It likely started with pandemic cabin fever and a flock of TikTok naturalists but it's fledged into the rise of tech toys that put AI-assisted cameras and connected apps on bird feeders so you can watch your fluttery friends from anywhere.
I spent way too much time recently live-streaming the Eagle Cam, which chronicles the exploits of two juvenile bald eagles, Gizmo and Sunny, from Big Bear, California. Now that they've left the nest, I thought I'd see what's available for home birders.
Birdfy showcases their bird feeders with built-in cameras during 2025 CES Unveiled, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Jack Dempsey) Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
For sure it's a crowded market, with competitors like Bird Buddy, Birdfy, PerchMe, PeckPerk and Soliom offering camera-equipped feeders at various price points and with a stunning range of options. You've got solar roof panels that power the tech, squirrel-proof porches, built-in antennae for better wifi and AI recognition to identify whatever bird flies up to the perch.
And while some birdhouses are cheaper and perhaps better at keeping squirrels away (and PerchMe has cool wings in its design), the clear favorite among reviewers and testers is Bird Buddy's Smart Bird Feeder Pro. It's got built-in AI software that identifies over 1,000 types of birds, has a large porch for birds to hang out on, and a high-res (5MP) camera and built-in mic that gives you some of the most vivid images you'll ever see of your own backyard. Right now you can find them for just under $200.
An exhibitor holds up the Bird Buddy smart camera bird feeder during CES Unveiled before the start of the CES tech show, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, in Las Vegas. The AI-powered camera bird feeder notifies you when a bird is feeding, takes pictures and organizes the photos. (AP Photo/John Locher) Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
My father-in-law and a few of my friends have Bird Buddies and I love that the unit sends 'postcards' to your phone whenever a bird lands on the roost. There's video, too, and you can even watch slow-mo replays of wrens and cardinals alighting on the feeder.
What's also nice is that while most smart feeders require a paid plan to unlock full features (like video or photo archives), a business model that has irked more than a few buyers, Bird Buddy's Pro version is more transparent. While it does offer a subscription (for added storage and features), the free version still delivers plenty of functionality out of the box—something that can't be said for all competitors.
Just be warned: Feeders like Bird Buddy quickly get addictive. You come home in the afternoon wondering whether that little yellow chickadee came back for some seeds. It's like your own backyard drama: Most American homes witness somewhere between 10 to 15 bird species flying around over the course of the year. For anyone curious about birds but not quite ready to memorize field guides, a smart feeder like Bird Buddy makes it easy to start paying attention and maybe even caring about these beautiful creatures. With the right setup, your backyard bird feeder little nature documentary, only you get to be the narrator.
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