Odds are, you’ve in all probability seen or know somebody who has a wise chook feeder. They’re pretty recognizable from a distance with their clear housing, cameras, and photo voltaic panels, and maybe a good friend or member of the family has despatched you a photograph or video of a brilliant goldfinch or good-looking woodpecker (responsible). The query at this level, then, is whether or not this stuff are actually well worth the $100-plus price ticket. Are they really sturdy? And what in regards to the squirrel downside?
Fortunate for you we’ve been testing the most well-liked sensible chook feeder fashions, together with Netvue’s unique Birdfy feeder ($135) and Fowl Buddy’s new Professional mannequin ($199), for months on finish—in rain, snow, and warmth, and in a yard with persistent squirrels. We’ve explored the apps and notification settings, put in any non-obligatory photo voltaic panels, and used Cornell Lab’s All About Birds—in addition to Google Lens and our personal native experience—to confirm the accuracy of AI identifications.
Up to date June 2025: We have added a hummingbird feeder from FeatherSnap, Birdfy’s new Tub Professional, and two choices from Camojojo Hibird.
Desk of Contents
Greatest General
This cheery blue- or yellow-roofed feeder, from safety firm Netvue, is the primary sensible feeder former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano examined, again in 2022. At the moment she gave it a 6/10 ranking for its worth and wonky AI. Each metrics have improved since then—I used to be impressed with the Birdfy app’s AI once I examined the upgraded 2 Duo (see beneath), and this feeder could be very typically on sale for $200 or much less. Should you pay $20 extra, you get a lifetime subscription of AI identification, which is a strong deal. With out it, it will price you $5 a month. That is the feeder I purchased my aged mother and father for Christmas throughout an Amazon Prime Day sale for its reliability and ease of use, although like Medea, they weren’t overly impressed with the AI. That stated, I’ve examined feeders from a number of manufacturers and, given the huge variability in lighting, shadows, and digital camera cleanliness, no AI goes to carry out flawlessly. Not like some manufacturers’, Birdfy’s AI nonetheless works extra typically than it does not.
Medea discovered that the 1080P wide-angle digital camera picks up much more motion from non-birds, so it’s possible you’ll find yourself with a ton of notifications relying on the place that is positioned. Should you’re hoping for a bird-feeder/security-camera hybrid, although, this could possibly be precisely what you need—particularly because it affords coloration evening imaginative and prescient. The IP65 plastic development additionally makes this feeder sturdy and simpler to scrub, and the 50-ounce seed reservoir is way simpler to fill than the Fowl Buddy with its handy flip-up prime. Not all bundles include a photo voltaic panel, however you should buy it individually. Not like different feeders, the photo voltaic panel will not be in-built and should be mounted and linked individually with the included 9.8-foot charging cable. (The Birdfy comes with a pole mount, wall mount, and tree strap.)
Greatest Connectivity
{Photograph}: Kat Merck
Camojojo
Hibird 4K HD Good Fowl Feeder With Digicam
In case your router solely permits for 5-GHz Wi-Fi, you’ll have been feeling you are lacking out on the chook feeder digital camera craze, as many of the cameras run on 2.4 GHz solely. Fortunate for you, there is a feeder that not solely runs on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz however is among the many most feature-rich and dependable I’ve examined. It is obtained a sturdy physique, 4K ultra-HD video, 1080p images, an included 128-GB SD card, and no subscription wanted. (Although which will change, Hibird’s rep instructed me, because the model’s overhead with analysis and growth will not be sustainable.) It is simple to arrange proper out of the field, with clear directions and a beneficiant 1.5-liter feed container that is easy to fill. The AI is OK, someplace between Amazon manufacturers and extra established firms like Fowl Buddy and Birdfy. The app additionally is not the snazziest, and the Chat GPT-like “Dr. Fowl” query perform is a bit corny, however the whole lot else is extraordinarily properly performed and the picture and video high quality is actually top-tier.
