Customer Ratings & Reviews

This was a Christmas gift for my son-n-law. He was very excited to get it.

The overall experience is great. It is more like an "iPhone" than a bird feeder.

This is an okay camera but the problem i have is that the cord/wire already broke for the solar panel. I think because i was using the hanger and it's kind of difficult to close the door feeder with the bracket and wire in the way so it snapped.

Product arrived defective. Camera module didn't function. Instead of returning it immediately, o tried working with their customer support. Its now been over 3 weeks since submitting a ticket, and i have received 2 automated emails, and 1 email from a representative(i assume it isn't also automated) asking for more information. I feel no closer a resolution, and will now be attempting to return it.

Very disappointed. Purchased the birdcage as a gift. It was delivered to the wrong address, less than 2 weeks before Christmas. 3 days later I was informed that it was now out of stock and could not be delivered by Christmas, the first chat person immediately after the non-delivery assured me it would be expedited and I would received it. Very frustrating, and the chats were extremely slow and annoying with repetitious questions and lots of lag time.

Purchased 2 of these feeders as gifts, we could not get either one of the feeders to connect to the phones. After downloading the app, we then got random bird pictures from a feeder in Hawaii while both of the feeders had been put in the box due to them not working.

Intro: Of all the smart IoT products out there, I had never considered just how fascinating an affordable smart bird feeder would be. But, thankfully, the folks at Bird Buddy did! And the timing couldn’t be better, because it’s only in recent years that we have become interested in observing our amazing local bird population here in middle Tennessee. We must admit that we used to think bird watching was primarily for older, retired people. But in recent years, my younger brother, who is an ultra-marathoner, avid gardener, and serious outdoor enthusiast, became intensely interested in birds--gradually progressing from a casual backyard “birdwatcher,” to a full-on “birder,” to a well-traveled “twitcher” who follows birds around the Southeastern US. Eventually, his enthusiasm became so infectious that we, too, began staring at birds and observing their behaviors. So, if you’re passionate about observing, identifying, and/or studying birds, or you know someone who is, the Bird Buddy Smart Bird Feeder could well be the perfect Christmas gift for your family and friends who are avian enthusiasts. Setup: As for the feeder’s out-of-the-box physical specs, it’s weatherproofed, fairly compact at just 9”H x 6”W x 7”D, and weighs just a little over 1 lb. unfilled. Although we followed the included printed 3-step quick-start guide, we’ve enjoyed easier setups with a lot of other IoT products. For starters, we had some difficulty seeing even a faintly blinking red LED at the top of the camera module to confirm that the unit was charging properly, until after the initial setup. The recommended initial charge via the provided USB-C cable is 2-to-4 hours; so, we charged it for a little over 4 hours to get a full charge. After we downloaded the app, we followed the app’s guided instructions. We eventually managed to get the camera connected to the app after experiencing some difficulty in obtaining a consistently strong Wi-Fi signal. (We have 1Gbps fiber optic cable, the latest upper-end modem/router, and we enjoy high D/L and U/L speeds in every area of the house as well as a strong signal throughout the front and back yards on our portable devices.) We performed the required firmware update which took about 15-to-20 minutes and we connected the solar panel charging cable to the camera module. Our hope is that the module won’t require any more manual battery charging via the USB-C cable (no USB-C power adapter included). Next, using the included plastic scoop, we filled the container to its capacity of a little less than 4 cups/1 liter of black-oil sunflower seeds. (The feeder’s rear door opens and snaps shut for easy-access refills.) We bought these seeds on our neighbor’s recommendation after witnessing the broad variety of birds he has managed to attract to his low-tech feeders over the spring, summer, and early fall. We’re hopeful that we’ll see similar results. Finally, we decided to install a tall, heavy-duty, black metal shepherd’s hook/garden hanging pole. We then used the included metal hanger to hang the feeder from the pole. The included plastic universal base mount (with 4 Phillips head screws) may still be an option, however, as powerful winds in our area can rock birdfeeders back and forth and even damage or detach some from their hangers. Tech: The feeder’s internet-connected camera is app controlled via Android or Apple iOS and offers Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. You can capture still images and transmit video, but you can’t enjoy constant feed without a fully wired setup; so, there are definitely disappointing limits to what you can capture with this battery-powered setup. There’s a black solar panel on one side of the feeder’s blue pitched roof to power the lithium-ion rechargeable battery. You can spin the detachable roof 180 degrees so that the solar panel is positioned on the opposite side if needed. Either way, you’ll want to position your feeder to catch the maximum amount of sunlight at least during the winter months when the sun is lower in the sky. As for battery life, we hung our feeder in a spot that gets good sunlight, so we haven’t needed to manually charge the camera in the week since we set it up, even after several dozen still images were captured along with a few short video captures on multiple occasions. Photo/Video Capture: The app is supposed to notify you when there’s bird activity in and around the feeder by sending you a “postcard,” i.e., several photos of the bird along with a short video clip that includes audio from the module’s built-in mic. But postcards are initiated only when the bird is perched in the required position and for long enough that the “camera capture” feature is auto-activated. What qualifies as a postcard-worthy capture is determined by the built-in AI. So, not every visit is recorded. In fact, over the first week, we noticed that there were several visits of birds whose images we would have liked to have captured, but we weren’t sent postcards of those birds. In future app iterations, we’d like to see some settings that allow us to customize the camera’s auto-capture criteria, especially where sensitivity levels are concerned. Also, it would be nice if the app sent us notifications whenever there’s activity so that we could have the option to stream the visit in real time, even if this precluded postcard capture/creation. This would allow us to, in effect, grab a pair of binoculars and view the birdies live, just like the old days, only better, as images would be close up via digital camera with much greater detail. The flip side to this issue is that when the camera is already in the process of capturing/creating a postcard, we’d like to be able to override that process so that we could once again grab our “digital binoculars” and begin live streaming. In essence, the user should be allowed more control over his birdwatching, even though we recognize some of the inherent limits to the technology at this price point. In any event, the resulting close-ups from the hi-res automatically-activated camera are still pretty stunning, although you’ll have to subscribe to the fee-based Bird Buddy “Pro” app if you want to see your images in Full HD. In the meantime, we’ve started saving some of our postcards in a postcard collection even though they appear to be in lower-res 720p format. You can also share your postcards with the Bird Buddy community in other states and even other countries and vice-versa. We also showed a few shots to my younger brother. Now, HE wants a Bird Buddy! AI in the App: Bird Buddy’s AI allows you to begin collecting cataloging, and organizing the photos of all the species of birds that visit your feeder including the number of times birds of each particular species have visited. AI also correctly identifies your local bird species from over a thousand different species stored in the cloud. But the Bird Buddy app provides far more info than this. Accessing the cloud database also provides a profile on each bird species that includes details on the bird’s natural habitats, geolocations, physical dimensions, bird calls and songs, habits and traits, favorite foods, and tips on how to attract new species. In summary, while the Bird Buddy and its app are great for adults of all ages, I highly recommend this smart birdfeeder for those with kids at home or those with grandkids who come to visit. This effective teaching tool offers not only the wonderful opportunity to expose youngsters to nature, but the chance to go deeper by immersing them in the exciting and fascinating world of avian life found around the planet--all while simultaneously providing them with an often needed break from frivolous social media activity and videogames.

I saw this item and i had to get it. It's more than just a simple field camera for birds. This is a small feeder, I wish it held a bit nore food, and the style is nice, but to fill it is a bit awkward. I like the metal hanging triangle on the top, it habgs well from my crook. This unit takes pictures sorts out bird vs no bird then send you a photo (called a postcard) with the bird identified if it got a good enough view. This does have a limitation of needing to be within wifi range, so it is somewhat close to my house, but hopefully i stashed it far enough the commotion going on in the house doesn't scare away the birds. It did take me a minute on initial set up because it did not have the led lights displaying while I charged it, but the website does have a troubleshooting for this. None of that initially worked. The day I sent a message to support I got a very prompt response, but it started working before I had to do further troubleshooting with them. A bit finicky, but no issues since then. A+ customer service (it was a weekend and they responded). The picture is clear when live streaming and so far, I've had a few sparrows, but nothing else exciting yet. It's only been 5 days, and it got warm, so birds are in the fields getting the remnants of harvest. I joined bird buddy pro, which can be monthly fee or save with very low cost yearly fee. This unlocks the full HD potential, bird frenzy that allows quicker photos (but lowers battery life) and allows you to mute/ignore species from postcards. You can also be part of the community and have up to 10 people you can host. It also unlocks all access to the network of fedders around the world they have. I was following ones in Hawaii and one in Canada recently. So far. My initial battery charge has held up for 5 days and still at 98%, but it has been sunny. We'll see when we hit overcast winter. In summary, it is fairly easy to set up, once running it's doing what it needs to. The application is neat, yiu have bird tv, live feeds all over the world, the community with tons of photos of birds. And a favorites list of feeders you can fallow. I will give this 4 out of 5 stars, with partial deduction for the low capacity of seed, awkward filling, and slight hiccup in the set up. Definitely I would reccomend this item though.

The Bird Buddy has been a fun addition to our backyard bird watching. As it seems inevitable with most grown-ups, as soon as I hit my late 30's, I started paying more attention to birds. Just a few short years later and we have feeders of all kinds and bird houses everywhere. The only thing missing was good photos of all of our backyard birds. Without investing in a serious camera set up and spending quite a bid of money, the Bird Buddy is the answer. So far we've captured several of our regular visitors up close and personal. We've gotten profile shots, funny poses, and captured them with food in their beaks. The image quality is fantastic considering how fast the birds move, and the short video clips are fun as well. The solar panel is a fantastic addition as well. It keeps the camera charged all day. If it lasts, the I may only have to remove the camera to wipe it down when it gets dirty. I ran into several issues during set up. The first was getting the camera turned on. It wasn't immediately clear how to turn the unit on without some searching online. I consider myself tech savvy, or at least not tech illiterate, and I could not figure out where the power button was located. The instructions were not clear, and there is no indication on the camera that the power button is in the center of the little peg that sticks out from the from of the camera. Second, when running set up in the app, while trying to check the wifi signal based on the location of the feeder, the app kept telling me the camera did not have a wifi signal even though it's on our back deck and the router is just inside the house. I spent a while trying to reset the camera, removing it and adding it back to my account to no avail. Finally I left the camera overnight and when I came back the next morning to try again, the camera magically found a signal and I haven't had problems since. A search on the Bird Buddy site did not provide a solution to this problem. If this is a common problem for the cameras, it should be included in the troubleshooting section or common questions section on their site. Overall, I am pleased with the Bird Buddy with the solar roof. Minus a few early hiccups, it is fun and takes great pics.

Horrible company that needs has the worst customer service I’ve ever dealt with. If you value your sanity or time, don’t even think of buying a Bird Buddy.

Solar roof broken can’t even use it. Hopefully they help me return it

The Bird Buddy is a nice, self-sufficient device that takes bird watching to a whole new level. Ease of setup, ease of use, and completely wireless operation make this a completely self contained and flexible unit. However, there are a few downsides which hamper my enjoyment of this otherwise solid device. Setup was simplistic. The Bird Buddy app helps guide through the process of setup and placement. While you have a lot of flexibility to place the feeder where you desire, you do need to place it within reach of a good Wifi signal. After precharging the camera, I was able to get up in running in a matter of minutes. Using the app is somewhat a mixed bag for me. Their decision to layout the app in the way they have, giving it a bit of a gamification feel, is an interesting choice. It's not the most intuitive, and when you have a lot of "postcards" (which is what they call new bird/wildlife sightings that have been captured), it can be tedious to go through them. In my particular instance, my first placement wasn't great, and allowed the back yard squirrels full access to the feeder. The amount of cards I had over a 5 hour period was substantial (all squirrel sightings), and going through to dismiss these took much longer than I'd have liked. However, once I got the unit placed in an area that was more difficult for squirrels to infiltrate, I was seeing birds I hadn't previously noticed in our yard. The identification process is also a bit of a mixed bag; I had several prompts asking ME what the bird in the postcard was, but when it was able to get a clear picture and automatically identify the birds, it was a slick experience. Overall, the app is ok, but it feels like this is an area they could improve on. My main issue with this unit is that it seems to miss sightings. I purposefully placed the feeder in view of our main living space at home. Over the first few days, I had a number of sightings that went unreported in the app. This is unfortunate, since there's no history and no way to go back in time to take a look. For me personally, it's not the biggest deal; I'm ok with what the feeder gives me personally even though it's not everything. Those more serious about bird watching will likely be a bit disappointed, however. This again may be something that can be improved upon, but it's a bit of a let down none the less. Areas for improvement aside, I honestly really like the Bird Buddy device. The fact that it's completely wireless is a big deal for me, allowing for major flexibility in placement. It's given me the ability to show my young kids a side of wild life that in most cases goes completely unnoticed. If nothing else, their enjoyment in seeing birds (cardinals and blue jays are their favorite) has given me joy, and a reason to keep this feeder in our yard. A few seemingly minor improvements could go a long way to turning this from a good device to a great one.

Apparently if you have a 5 ghz router it won’t work. It appears that Bird Buddy's camera module requires a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band and does not work with Wi-Fi @5GHz. It was a Christmas gift I now have to return. Not something I would have expected.

We got this for my father in law who has tons of bird feeders and hummingbird feeders all over his property. We thought it would be a fun idea for him to be able to see all the visitors to his feeders and what birds he was feeding. This seemed like a great way to do that. Out of the box its definitely a quality product. It doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy or anything like that. We live in Wisconsin so the winters and summers can both be harsh. I feel that this will easily be able to stand up to the weather without any problems. Setting it up was very easy. This is the solar version, so you don’t have to worry about running power cables anywhere. You just connect the camera to the solar panel, make sure the unit gets a lot of daytime sun, and you’re all set! You then have to download the Bird Buddy app for your phone. As of the writing of this review, the only way I can find to view the camera is on your phone. It would be cool if in the future they would make a program for your computer as well. I know at least my dad isn’t great with phones, but is on his computer a lot. Once you get the app set up on your phone its time to kick back and wait for the “postcards” to come in. That’s what they call the pictures and videos that the camera takes. You get a notification on your phone that you have a new postcard and then you can just open it and see what bird was at your feeder. This will also let you know if you get a lot of squirrels visiting your feeder as well which we found out quite quickly and had to move it. Along with each postcard, the app will attempt to tell you what species of bird it is as well. I found it to be fairly accurate in doing that as long as the bird is a fairly distinctive species and the lighting is good. Something like a cardinal or bluebird is easily identified. So definitely put some thought into the placement and where the sun will be during most of the day. It will also give you information about that species of bird. Where its mainly found, things it likes to eat, you can even play samples of how each individual bird sounds. So, it’s a great way to learn more about the birds in your area. Overall, I think it’s a great product for the birdwatcher in your life. Also great for kids to learn more about the birds as well. Has some hiccups here and there and doesn’t always catch every bird. Also a desktop application would be great as well. Other than that, it’s a solid product and my father in law loves it!

The initial setup is done via a downloaded app easily obtained via a QR code provided in the box. It takes you step-by-step through the process of setting up the camera, but even then it wasn't the smoothest process--I had a lot of trouble initially getting the camera properly connected before I could successfully test the livestream and camera position. And be prepared to wait anywhere from two to four hours for the camera module to be fully charged, which is what needs to be done immediately after downloading the app, before you can proceed with the setup. There is a provided USB-C to USB-C cable, but you will need a USB-C power adapter, which is NOT included. When I plugged in the camera to charge, there was supposed to be a faint light which would turn green to indicate it was fully charged, but no light ever appeared when it was plugged in, so I had to guess and check if it were charged enough and it took about four hours to charge completely. The only time the light worked was when I was connecting to my phone's bluetooth and during various stages of setup. As stated, I had a lot of problems with the camera module maintaining a good connection with the WiFi, and I know it wasn't my home internet or phone that was at fault. There are no written instructions included--you have to rely on the Bird Buddy website, app, and/or their official YouTube channel where they have videos you can watch to help with the setup process and to do any troubleshooting. And even then it was a bit complicated. I would say that the average non-techie person may have a lot of trouble; I'm pretty good at technical stuff, setting up and maintaining all of my family's electronics and troubleshooting when and where it's needed, but I was frustrated several times during setup. There is of course, an offered subscription for a "Bird Buddy Pro" level that brings added benefits, one being a higher camera resolution, but you don't need it to fully enjoy this smart bird feeder, in my opinion. The camera quality is excellent already. You can choose to share your birdfeeder moments with the rest of the Bird Buddy world or not--within the app, you can watch various recorded moments of birds all around the world, which is really neat and something my kids loved. And it will automatically identify the bird species every time. But to be able to see and observe the birds so up close is really the best experience. The only negatives to our experience so far would be the following: the frustrations during setup, the lack of clear written instructions to follow, and the fact that the bird feeder doesn't hold a lot of seeds. We have two already established bird feeders in our backyard which hold a good amount of seeds and we have to replenish them often--this bird feeder holds a lot less than one of our typical bird feeders. As for the battery life, it seems to hold up so far, but it should be helped by the included solar panels on the roof. All in all, it is a great experience for any avid bird watcher.

does not work. check reddit to see how prevalent connection issues are

Seems like a product that is long overdue. As someone who enjoys watching birds at their feeder, a bird feeder with an internet connected camera seems like something that I should have already had! Setup is easy with the app guiding you every step of the way. The product is fully assembled out of the box except for the camera. After connected the camera to wifi, the rest of the setup takes a bit of time due to a lengthy firmware update (~20 min) plus a few hours to fully charge the battery. Once that is done, you simply place the camera in the feeder (a magnet makes this a no fail process) and connect the cable for the solar panel. Once the camera is in place, take the feeder outside and place it somewhere with a good wifi signal, fill it with seed using the included scoop, and you are good to go. So far I haven't had any feathered visitors, mostly due to the time of year. But I have done live stream tests on the camera and they have worked fine. Knocking 1 star off due to 1080p video being locked behind a paywall ($3/month) called bird buddy pro. The other features in bird buddy pro aren't that critical, but in this day and age 1080p video shouldn't be considered a premium feature, it should be available for free. Overall a great product, look forward to seeing all the visitors that come during the spring/summer months!

I bought a Bird Buddy a few weeks ago. I must admit, I'm smitten! As a backyard bird watcher for many years, and someone who has far too many feeders up, I enjoy watching the birds and getting to know their behavior. Bird Buddy snaps postcards and sends me videos of them, and even identifies the species, when they appear. Because its so close up, i can get to know behaviors more intimately than I ever have. I'm impressed with the clarity of the "post cards" it sends, for I can see a Titmouse scrounging for food from just a few inches. My only issue with the Buddy has been its safety. We routinely get bears visiting our feeders and climbing up to get bird food and feeders. This piece of equipment is more than I wanted them to destroy, so i had to figure out a place to put it that they couldn't reach. Took a little while, but it was a fun challenge. It works like a charm now. I like the quality of the photos and videos I get from it, with the solar panels on its roof that means I don't have to plug it in much, and with its ability to identify the species it's a hoot (pun intended). Bravo. I can recommend this heartily.

I've been using the Bird Buddy smart bird feeder for a few weeks now, and I absolutely love it! It's been so much fun to get to know the different types of birds that visit my backyard. The camera is truly top-notch. It captures stunningly clear and detailed photos and videos of birds, even in low light conditions. I've been able to get some incredible close-ups of species that I never would have been able to see so well with my binoculars. The AI-powered bird identification system is also really cool. It's been able to identify all of the different types of birds that have visited my feeder, even some of the more obscure ones. The Bird Buddy app is also very user-friendly. It's easy to browse through my photos and videos, and I can even share them with friends and family. I also like that the app tracks the number of birds that visit my feeder and the time and date of their visits. Overall, I'm extremely happy with the Bird Buddy smart bird feeder. It's a great way to get up close and personal with nature, and it's also a lot of fun to use.

I love watching critters in their natural habitats, and was super excited to see Best Buy sell this product! Essentially, this is a bird feeder with a hi-res camera that uses AI technology to identify the visitors at your bird feeder. The feeder is lightweight, weatherproof, and designed with the safety of birds in mind. Bearing all of this information in mind, wifi and a smartphone with app access are necessary prerequisites. The feeder is wireless and has a rechargeable lithium ion battery which lasts me anywhere from 5-10 days, depending on the frequency of pictures taken. One of my favorite features is being able to see other people’s Bird Buddy footage around the world! I think it is so cool to be able to check out someone else’s footage from places that are unlike my own, i.e. tropical climates. There are also tons of add-ons that can be purchased separately, such as a wall mount, solar roof, and a perch extender (which is very useful for the chubbier visitors). Set-up is easy, account creation as well!