There are multiple companies making bird feeders with AI identification that send you pictures and info on the birds visiting your home, and Birdfy is one of the better-known brand names. I've reviewed and regularly use multiple Bird Buddy products, so when Birdfy asked if I wanted to give their bird feeders a look last winter, I said yes.
Birdfy has a lot of bird feeder options at different prices, along with camera-equipped bird baths and bird houses. I've been testing the standard Birdfy Feeder ($170 with solar panel and lifetime AI included), the Birdfy Feeder 2 Duo ($360), and the Birdfy Bath Pro (currently $280) for the past five months, so I'm very familiar with the product options and the Birdfy software, which is a major factor when choosing a smart product.
Birdfy products record bird visits, providing AI species identification and photos and videos that you can watch. You just need to put them in a spot that gets a decent Wi-Fi signal to view the birds that are coming to your area.
Birdfy Feeder
The Birdfy Feeder is a good starting point for someone new to bird feeders. There's a cheaper model that starts at $80, but the Birdfy Feeder has a 2K high-definition camera and an option to buy it with lifetime AI bird identification.
The lower-priced Birdfy options can be purchased with or without a solar panel, and I think the solar panel is worth getting. It's an extra $40, but as long as your feeder is somewhere with partial sun, the solar panel provides enough power to prevent the camera from having to be manually charged.
My Birdfy Feeder is in a spot with morning and afternoon sun, and it has never dipped below a 90 percent charge. I have the other Birdfy feeder in a wooded area, also with solar panel, and it hovers at about 50 percent battery. I had to charge it once in the winter, but I haven't needed to do so again.
The solar panel that comes with the Birdfy Feeder is not attached to the feeder itself, so it can be positioned a couple of feet away if necessary. There are pros and cons to that setup compared to the Bird Buddy, where the solar panel is on the roof of the feeder. The Bird Buddy is a more compact, all-in-one design with no extra cords, and I prefer that look. The Birdfy solar panel is larger and more versatile, but it's also more visible and there is a cable to contend with.
While the Bird Buddy hangs or can be mounted, Birdfy's feeders are all meant to be mounted to a pole, tree, wall, or post. There's no loop for hanging one up, and feeder designs don't work for hanging. Birdfy includes multiple mounting options, which is nice, but also more complicated than the Bird Buddy.
There are a lot of components in the box, and for someone that just wants to put up a bird feeder and connect to an app, Birdfy products might feel overwhelming. I've gifted a Bird Buddy to older family members and it's been a hit, but I'd be more hesitant to gift the Birdfy to those same people.
Unless you live somewhere with no tree-climbing seed-loving creatures, mounting to a tree with the included tree straps isn't ideal because it makes access too easy.
Mounting on a wall or a post can work, but my squirrels will climb the side of my house to leap over to bird feeders. I like hanging feeders like the Bird Buddy because I can put them on a pole with a baffle without a hassle and keep them away from squirrels. Birdfy also supports pole mounting, but it uses adjustable metal hose clips that take longer to install.
I can't put the Birdfy Feeder on one of the hanging branches because of its design, so it has to be on the pole itself just above the baffle that I have. It's sturdy and works fine. All of the mounting options work in the same way, in that you install a metal plate that the Birdfy Feeder then attaches to. That lets you remove it without having to unmount it for cleaning, filling, and charging.
The Birdfy Feeder has a simple design where the seed goes into a reservoir at the sides of the camera, which is in the middle of the feeder. The top pops up so you can fill it, and it holds a good amount of seed. I fill it about once a week, and I have a lot of birds visiting.
The roof keeps the seed dry for the most part, and there is an included perch for the birds to land on. The camera slots into the feeder, and then the solar panel plugs in at the back of the camera (if you have the solar panel). If you don't have a solar panel, you take the Birdfy Feeder off the mount and charge it with USB-C.
Birdfy uses white plastic for the standard Feeder I tested (with blue or yellow accents), though there are wood options for those that prefer that look. The plastic has held up well so far through rain, sun, and freezing temperatures over the winter, and Birdfy says it's IP65. Since the Feeder can be removed from the mount, it's simple to clean. Bird feeders need to be cleaned every two weeks or so, and I typically rinse them in hot water, spray them with alcohol, give them a bit of a scrub where necessary, rinse again, and let them dry. Refilling the seed is simple, and I don't even take it down for that. I just need to pop open the roof and pour the seed in. I do wish Birdfy included a seed pouring device like the Bird Buddy does, but a measuring cup or a 3D-printed solution works fine... Click here to read rest of article
Article Link: Birdfy Review: Smart Bird Feeders and Bird Bath Put to the Test
