First We Fell in Love With a Smart Bird Feeder. Then This Smart Bird House Stole Our Hearts.
Grant Clauser/NYT Wirecutter
Unlike hanging a bird feeder, hanging a nesting box in the yard is no guarantee that a pair of birds will settle in to put down roots. Birds' nesting habits vary by species, and species vary by region and habitat. But there are many other factors, such as the height and location of the box, competition, predators … in other words, the magic might not happen. Birdfy offers some guidance on this. According to the guidelines provided by the National Wildlife Federation, the Birdfy bird houses are fit for Eastern and Western bluebirds and sparrows, and you might attract chickadees and some wrens. The weatherproof Wi-Fi camera, powered by a solar panel, is completely hidden inside the box. Grant Clauser/NYT Wirecutter
It took about a week, but eventually my phone chirped with a notification — something was happening. I looked at the video and first saw a small beak — and then the whole feathered head and body cautiously investigating the box. It was a common house sparrow, probably one of the many that hang out in my nearby juniper tree.
Even with the camera's built-in light turned off (I worried it would spook the birds), the video was bright and sharp. When you press the play button on the app for recordings or live video, the image takes five to seven seconds to load, which is longer than with any of my home-security cameras. But this birdcam is located 200 feet from the Wi-Fi router inside our people house. You can then download it to your phone to share on social media, and it becomes part of a 'story' on the Birdfy app, which lets you track the nesting progress of your tenants. A side door gives you easy access if you need to adjust the camera or clean out the birdbox after nesting season. Grant Clauser/NYT Wirecutter
The nesting box used the same Birdfy app as the company's feeders, and it functions in the same way. Rachel Cericola explains the app's features in her review of the feeders here. Nest building begins! Birdfy
After a week, the bird box didn't draw any additional attention, despite the housing shortage in my backyard. I thought maybe the close proximity to another (occupied) nesting box might be the issue, so I moved it to a different location on the other side of the yard. Within a day a pair of bluebirds started checking it out.
For several days, a male bluebird would show up every morning for house tours, sticking his head in as if taking measurements for a sofa. Then one morning I checked in via the app to see a few twigs arranged on the floor of the house — the couple had apparently signed the lease and started to move in. The solar panel kept the camera's battery at full charge, even through overcast days. Grant Clauser/NYT Wirecutter
In addition to being transfixed by the birds' bobbing and twitching inside the small space, I'm charmed by their delicate chirps. The camera's microphone easily picked up conversations between the bird couple as they planned their life together in their new temporary home. In a few weeks I expect the gentle tweets will be replaced by the caterwauling of chicks screaming for breakfast.
All in all, the Birdfy nesting box met my expectations. The camera images look good, and it maintained connection to my Wi-Fi router. According to the battery meter in the app, the solar panel kept the battery fully charged — even through cloudy days — though increased chick activity may draw on it more. And the whole shebang held up well through spring storms with heavy wind and rains.
In prior years I've enjoyed watching all of the activity around my non-camera nesting boxes, and I've always wanted to know what was going on inside them. Hopefully the happy couple who've claimed this one will continue their family building. And I'll get to watch the feedings and fledging as the season continues, and I will post updates to this article as things progress.
This article was edited by Jon Chase and Grant Clauser.
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