Bird Buddy PRO Solar Smart Bird Feeder with Camera & Perch Extender, Blue

One of the perks of working from home is being able to glance out the window from time to time to observe birds visiting a couple feeders and a bath. But now that I have added this BIRDBUDDY SMART BIRD FEEDER, maybe I’m a little too distracted from my job! In addition to glancing out the window, I open the accompanying app to see photos and videos along with bird identifications. Of course, I then must add them to my collection in the app and share some of them with my family and friends. I love my new “toy”, and I doubt the novelty will wear off any time soon. The feeder was packed carefully and arrived in perfect condition with all parts included. I took my time with assembly to make sure I didn’t damage anything by mistake. I visited the Birdbuddy web site to watch videos that made things even clearer than the enclosed instructions. I charged the battery with the USB-C cable, and now the battery stays charged because of the solar roof. Someday I might get a pole to mount the feeder on, but I’m glad a wire hanger was included as an option. The included seed scoop makes filling the feeder easy, especially if you use the door as a ramp to avoid spillage. Since I already had feeders, it took a few days before the birds got over their wariness and my Birdbuddy feeder received its first visitor—a Brown-headed Cowbird. Bird identification is a wonderful feature of the smart feeder. Although I have no trouble with many of the birds in my area, some are tricky—like sparrows. My Birdbuddy had no trouble letting me know that a Chipping Sparrow had paid me a visit for a photoshoot! Explore the app to learn how to use all the features. You might consider upgrading to BIRDBUDDY PREMIUM to take advantage of additional features such as the ability to share livestream with the guests on your account.

The Bird Buddy Solar birdfeeder offers a new dimension in bird watching. The motion activated camera inside captures a closeup picture of your little friends as they stop by for a treat. You get a perfect view as they check over the seed offerings, find the perfect seed, and either eat it or take it as they fly away. It’s truly fascinating. The set up directions were clear and only took a few minutes to set the feeder up. After charging for a couple hours it was ready to fill with seed and hang outside. The directions said it could take up to two weeks for the birds to find a new feeder, but I had a chickadee and a finch in less than an hour. You can actually watch a live feed on your phone, and the best pictures are automatically sent to your phone as “postcards” daily. I’m very pleased with it and will probably get the add on suet feeder to go with it.

To start, the setup for this camera feeder is very user friendly. My husband typically has to help me with that sort of thing, but I was able to do the entire setup process while he was at work. It can be taken apart easily for cleaning. The solar panel is only on one side of the roof, but it is reversible so it can be positioned to get maximum sunlight. The box includes a bracket for mounting on a pole and another for hanging. I found that the included screws weren't long enough to have the perch extender and the pole mounting bracket both attached, but I had screws that fit to be able to use it. If you want to mount it in another way, they sell other brackets, like for wall mounting, which I was slightly disappointed to not have included. The seed compartment seems a little small to me, but that may just be because I have a high volume of birds come around every day. The battery percentage seems to drop a few points every day, dispite the fact that it always says the solar is charging. I've only had it a couple weeks, but I'm expecting to have to bring the camera in to charge once every 3-4 weeks. The camera does automatically power down at night. There are no photos and no ability to live stream while the camera is "sleeping". I know this is to help with the battery life, but there are times I wish I could check it even after it starts getting dark out. The pictures are typically nice and clear, and it even records a short video for every triggered visit. There have been times that I have seen a bird at the feeder and the feeder didn't get any images, so the birds must have to stick around for more than a few seconds. Overall, I do really enjoy this product.

The squirrels destroyed this in less than a week. I don’t know how other people’s units survive. There is no protection for the camera wire- it’s just right out there right in the food compartment.. so when squirrels go back there to try to get food it’s right there. Thankfully Chewy has a great return policy or I’d be livid right now. I did try to order a replacement- I was going to give it one more go. The new unit arrived and the base wasn’t made properly like the first one. Perch extension wouldn’t fit into the base properly and ad as result wouldn’t screw into the base properly. Sending it back for a refund and I think I’m done with this company. Way too much aggravation and poor design.