What’s better than watching hummingbirds at your feeder?
Recording hummingbirds at your feeder with a camera. It really does take things to a whole new level. You enter serious bird feeder territory once a camera gets involved.
No longer are the hummingbirds at your yard feeders a joy for only you and your family to behold. You can start to share them with the world (literally).
A camera equipped feeder lets you observe and record your visiting birds up close without disturbing them.
The camera is usually located near the feeding area and captures images and videos of hummingbirds and other birds that visit the feeder. Some bird feeders with cameras even have night vision capabilities, handy if you get nocturnal birds or other wildlife.
There are two options for getting one or more cameras pointed at or within your hummingbird feeders:
- 1. Buy a seperate camera (or multiple) and set them up yourself
- 2. Buy a feeder with an inbuilt camera
It’s only relatively recently that we’ve had that section option above. Feeders with cameras built in are now affordable, compact, and easy to set up even for the non tech savvy among us.
Some of these are called Smart Bird Feeders.
Motion detection, solar power, and 1080HD recording are all standard in the best smart bird feeders, including those specifically for hummingbirds.
We’re spoiled for choice now as far as these products go. There’s almost too many to choose from. I want to focus on two that I really like:
NUOTUN Smart Bird Feeder Camera
Check it out here
There’s a lot to like about this camera bird feeder: 1080P, night vision, motion detect, hummingbird feeder.
The 1080p high-definition camera comes with excellent quality night vision. There are two feeding troughs: a water sink and hummingbird feeder.
The PIR sensor detects birds in real time and triggers camera to record automatically. The downside to this is the battery life can be a little too short if you’ve got constant recording going on at an active feeder. The feeder does automatically go to sleep when no birds are detected to conserve power which will at least prevent a rapid battery discharge.
One of the best things I’ve enjoyed about this feeder is the dual feeding troughs – one for water and one for hummingbirds – which make it easy to attract a variety of birds along with hummingbirds.
The 1080p HD camera is another standout feature and the night vision is better than expected. We were able to clearly record visitors to the feeder in low light conditions.
Then there’s the Wasserstein Bird Feeder Smart Camera Case.
I love this option when you already have a camera available beacuse it’s compatiable with all the best cameras including the Wyze range.
Once you’ve got this set up you can capture up close photos and videos of birds at your feeder, and also monitor your backyard with a smart cam.
The things I really like about the Wasserstein are:
- Compatible with top security camera brands, including Blink, Wyze, and Ring.
- Strong, durable, weatherproof plastic keeps the smart cam protected in harsh weather.
- Easy setup allows for quick mounting to small trees or poles using the strap, or on walls or bigger trees using the metal wall mount.
A few things could be improved on this one, like:
- The feeder can bounce a lot when birds land and fly off, and the attachment bracket could be sturdier.
- The side clip of the tray is a little flimsy construction and could potentially snap off.
- Squirrels may be able to get to the feeder so an additional squirrel deterrent might be needed.
I find the Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera Case to be a great addition to my backyard, even though it’s not the only camera equipped smart feeder I use.
It does allow us to capture amazing photos and videos of the visiting birds while also keeping an eye on some of the property. The feeder is compatible with our Blink security camera, and the weatherproof plastic kept it protected during rainy conditions – something I was keen to test out on those first rainy days. I’ve had no issues with moisture or malfunctioning due to weather.
The setup was nice and easy and we were able to mount it to a nearby tree using the strap.
One thing I did notice was that the feeder can bounce a fair bit when birds land and fly off, and the attachment bracket could be somewhat sturdier.
But I really like the Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera Case and it’s a good option for anyone looking to capture amazing photos and videos of birds with a smart camera feeder setup.
