Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

What is a smart bird feeder?

The Bird Buddy with a Blue Jay perched on its edge.
Bird Buddy

Bird feeders are a great way to enjoy wildlife from the comfort of your home, allowing you to glance out the window and see an assortment of birds gathering in your yard. However, you’ll now find products known as smart bird feeders available online and at some local gardening shops — but what exactly do these new devices offer that can’t be found on traditional bird feeders? More importantly, are smart bird feeders better than traditional bird feeders, especially when you consider their price tags?

Here’s a closer look at these innovative new smart home devices to help you decide if adding one to your yard is a good investment.

Recommended Videos

What is a smart bird feeder?

The Netvue Birdfy Feeder on a white background.
Netvue

A smart bird feeder is essentially a bird feeder with a built-in camera, allowing you to get a closeup view of your feathery visitors. Many can also use AI to identify birds on the feeder, helping to educate you about the animals frequenting your backyard. If you’re an avid birder, that’s a pretty useful feature, as it can often be hard to ID birds without using a pair of binoculars.

These smart bird feeders typically connect to your smartphone via a mobile app, allowing you to customize settings, get smart alerts, or check out additional ornithology content. Some smart bird feeders are battery-powered, while others can link to solar panels to enhance their longevity. Most are also weather-proof and designed in a way to get you the best images of feeding birds (typically by offering an extended perch to better view plumage or using a wide-angle lens).

In short, smart bird feeders are used to capture video footage and provide details of all the animals that stop by for a visit. They typically hold the same birdseed and are just as safe to use as traditional bird feeders, but they make it easier to get a good look at guests.

Keep in mind many smart bird feeders won’t connect to platforms like Google Home or work via Amazon Alexa, but rather they’re “smart” by way of capturing footage and syncing with a mobile app.

Are smart bird feeders worth it?

The Bird Buddy hanging on a thread.
Bird Buddy

There are a lot of factors to consider when trying to decide between a smart bird feeder and regular bird feeder. The main consideration is price. Whereas you can buy (or build) a standard bird feeder for cheap, smart bird feeders often cost over $100. The Bird Buddy with Solar Roof, for example, costs a hefty $300.

You’ll also need to determine if features like video recording and bird ID are something you’ll make use of. After all, these are the main aspects of a smart bird feeder — and if you don’t think you’ll skim through all your alerts or enjoy instant bird identification, then there’s really no need to consider a smart bird feeder.

The same could be said for the installation location. If your bird feeder is really close to your home, you might have a great viewing angle directly from your living room. But if it’ll be farther away or in a spot near your home that’s not easy to see, then the ability to capture close-up footage is worth the price of admission.

Most avid birders will find much to love about smart bird feeders, making them a wise investment. But if you’re just seeking something to attract birds to your garden or enjoy watching birds from time to time, then the upfront costs probably make them less attractive. To get a look at some of your options, be sure to check out our roundup of the best smart bird feeders, which covers a range of budgets and style preferences.

Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
Ring Battery Doorbell vs. Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen): What’s new with the latest model?
The Ring Battery Doorbell installed near a front door.

The Ring Battery Doorbell is the successor to the popular Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen). Both offer many of the same features -- and if you’re a current owner of the Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen), you’re probably wondering if upgrading to the Ring Battery Doorbell is worthwhile. Here’s a look at the two video doorbells to help you decide which is best for your home.
Design

The new Ring Battery Doorbell and old Ring Video Doorbell (2nd Gen) look very similar. They feature a rectangular chassis with a black upper portion (housing the camera) and a silver lower portion (housing the doorbell button). Around this doorbell button is Ring's iconic glowing blue circle. They both look great, and upgrading to the Ring Battery Doorbell won’t change the appearance of your front door.

Read more
Your Google TV can now control smart home devices
The Home Panel on Google TV Streamer.

In late September, Google announced a new feature for Google TV called the Home Panel that would make it easier to control all of your (compatible) smart home devices from a single location. The feature first appeared on the Google TV Streamer and then later on Chromecast, but it has now rolled out to Google TVs from other companies including Hisense, TCL, and others.

The Home Panel offers a lot of utility. It shows your lights' current brightness level, the volume level of speakers, and even live streams from security cameras. The demo video Google has on its blog shows that the user can even adjust the thermostat. All of this is done through the remote, so you don't even have to get up off the couch.

Read more
Best washer and dryer deals: bundles from LG, Samsung and more
A washer and dryer sit next to each other in a laundry room.

If it’s time to add a new washer and dryer to your smart home we’ve got some great news, as there’s a lot of savings available out there today. And while it can be difficult to find discounts on all of the best washing machines and best dryers, it’s a pretty simple process to find washer and dryer deals on the machines that are best for you. Appliance package deals are one way to get some savings on a washer and dryer, but if you’re looking for only a way to wash and dry your clothes right now you’ll want to read onward for all of today’s best washer and dryer deals. And if you’d like to go ahead and add some other appliances to the mix don’t miss out on the current refrigerator deals, dishwasher deals, and oven deals.
Best LG washer and dryer deals

LG makes some awesome appliances. We've picked some medium-sized options, including a fairly cheap package deal available at Best Buy.

Read more