Bird Buddy is a company known for its camera-equipped bird feeder, a product that started out on Kickstarter. Since debuting the original bird feeder in 2021, Bird Buddy has expanded its product lineup, giving people more ways to bring nature indoors.
I first
reviewed the Bird Buddy last year, but I am revisiting my review because there's an upgraded camera that's now available, along with a hummingbird feeder and a stand.
Bird Buddy Pro Camera
The Bird Buddy Pro is Bird Buddy's newest standard setup, and it comes with an improved camera that supports 2K video, HDR, and slow-motion video playback. It has a wider field of view, and better sensor, and the HDR is new. If you already have the Bird Buddy like I did, you can buy the camera on a standalone basis, because it is the same size as the original camera and the enclosure is the same.
The Bird Buddy enclosure is made from a thick plastic material, and it has an optional solar roof add-on that keeps the camera charged up using the sun. I've had the Bird Buddy up and running for a year now, and it's held up well despite exposure to sun, rain, frost, and heat. The clear back panel that pulls out to clean the Bird Buddy has yellowed a bit, and my solar panel can pop loose a little bit at the top, but I otherwise haven't run into any issues with the integrity of the bird feeder. I'm able to pop the solar panel roof back down, and I haven't had problems with water intrusion or problems with charging.
When placed in an area that gets a small amount of sun a day, the Bird Buddy stays charged up, but in a shadier area, I've had to add supplemental charging. Right now, I've got the Bird Buddy in a forested spot next to my house, and it gets little to no direct sunlight. Unsurprisingly, that hasn't been enough to keep the battery charged. Without the solar roof powering the Bird Buddy, it needs to be charged about every week, so I do think the solar panel is worth the extra $50.
The camera pops right into the Bird Buddy enclosure, which is why it was easy for me to swap out the standard camera for the 2K model. The camera connects to the solar panel over USB-C, with the cable tucked away from the elements. Seed goes into the hopper behind the camera, and feeds into the tray where birds sit to eat.
With a better sensor and HDR support, there is a noticeable difference between the newer camera that Bird Buddy offers and the original model. Videos are a lot crisper, and I can see quite a bit more detail in each bird that visits.
The Pro camera also has the benefit of having an option for a close-up view or a view with a wider angle, and that solves a problem that I've sometimes had with the Bird Buddy. At times, birds will come to the edge of the Bird Buddy to eat rather than the front and so they can stay out of view. That doesn't happen with the wider-angle lens, though I still tend to prefer the shots that I get with the closer view.
I don't want to give the impression that the camera is perfect, because it still needs good lighting to get crisp shots. In the dark and in situations with odd backlighting or sunlight shining right on the camera, pictures don't come out the best. This isn't a DSLR by any means, but all pictures and videos are an improvement over the standard Nature Cam thanks to the hardware differences, even though the Nature Cam also has 2K video recording as an option and 5-megapixel photos. If you already have a Bird Buddy, enjoy it, and are considering the upgrade, I think it's worthwhile for the better quality pictures.
I bought the extended perch for my Bird Buddy, and I've been happy with it. The birds use it often, and it gives them more space. I also bought the suet ball and water dish add-on, but I've long since removed those. The suet ball was messy and it took up too much space, as did the water dish. I have a different water source for the birds, and I serve suet in a dedicated suet container just so I have less of a mess to clean up.
The Bird Buddy is by no means squirrel proof, and if you have local squirrels, they can and will get to it if it's in reach. I've had luck putting it further than a squirrel can jump. Hot seed also seems to be a good deterrent because birds don't mind the pepper taste, but squirrels can't stand it.
I've had all kinds of birds come to visit the Bird Buddy, and I sometimes get different visitors depending on what I put out. It can accommodate bigger birds like mourning doves, as well as tiny birds like finches and sparrows.
As long as squirrels aren't stealing food from the Bird Buddy, I can go around five days without needing to refill it. There are people that sell larger hoppers that attach to it, or plenty of 3D files for that purpose if you have a 3D printer. I do wish Bird Buddy sold add-on options like that. Seed is added through a little pulldown at the back of the hopper, and Bird Buddy does include a seed scooper that works well.
I clean the Bird Buddy every couple of weeks, and the app will send reminders to do so. I remove all remaining seed debris, take out the camera, and give everything a good rinse. I then sanitize with alcohol and give it another rinse before letting it dry and filling it back up. It's easy to take apart and clean, and it's a process that takes me only a few minutes. I clean all of my bird feeders regularly just to ensure that I'm not perpetuating any diseases to the local birds, like bird flu. I haven't seen an ill bird at my feeder, but checking on bird health and knowing if a cleaning is needed is one benefit of having a camera.
By default, the Bird Buddy comes with a hanger. I've used it on a hanger for the last year, but there is an option to purchase a pole mount. I think birds might prefer the stability of a pole mount, but they've still been regularly using it with the hanger even though it wobbles.
With the Pro camera and any Bird Buddy camera, you can pop it out from one enclosure and put it into another. So if you have a Bird Buddy and want to move the camera over to a Hummingbird Feeder, that's possible. The cameras are meant to work with Bird Buddy products, so if you just take it out of the enclosure or try to transfer it to a homemade enclosure, it doesn't work. You can, however, add a magnet to get the camera to function outside of a standard Bird Buddy feeder.
Even after a year, the Bird Buddy works as it did when I first received it. I've continued to use it, and I'm still a fan of it. The Bird Buddy feeders that I've gifted to others are also still in use.
Hummingbird Feeder Pro
Bird Buddy makes a Hummingbird Feeder now, which I've been testing for a few months. Hummingbird feeders are tricker, because hummingbirds are seasonal birds. You're not going to start seeing them until right around April or May, because they migrate. They'll stick around until August or September, and then they head off again.
Before considering a hummingbird feeder of any kind, you need to make sure that you live in an area where hummingbird visits, and
there's a whole website for that. As long as hummingbirds are near you, you can likely attract them to your yard. They're good at spotting anything red, which is why hummingbird feeders are red. The Bird Buddy Hummingbird Feeder looks a lot like traditional hummingbird feeders, and it has the same red flower-shaped nectar cups.
Like the standard Bird Buddy, the Hummingbird Feeder has a solar roof option. The solar roof is convenient, but because hummingbirds are seasonal and because the hummingbird food needs to be swapped out often, it's not quite as worth the extra cost as the solar panel for the Bird Buddy. It's still a good option if you want to be able to swap food and put the feeder right back out, and it prevents you from needing to pull out the camera to hook it up to a cable.
The Hummingbird Feeder unscrews from the bottom so you can pour sugar water inside, and then it screws back on. The feeder holds 1.5 cups of liquid, which seems about right for hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are probably the cheapest birds to feed, which is a benefit. You just need a big bag of sugar, and then you can make your own nectar. Bird Buddy recommends six tablespoons of sugar dissolved in 1.5 cups of water. I just make it with hot water from the sink and stir until the sugar is well-dissolved, but you can boil water and it may last a little longer. I don't boil because it changes the concentration of the sugar water mixture.
Sugar water doesn't last a particularly long time, so while it's a cheaper feeder to operate, it requires more maintenance. Bird Buddy recommends cleaning and refilling the feeder about every three days, because hummingbirds won't drink sugar water that's started to ferment. If your feeder is in the shade, you might be able to go a little longer, and if it's in hot sun, it might need to be swapped out more often.
I think the design of the Hummingbird Feeder works, though it does get ants because there isn't an ant moat. Hummingbirds have been using it, but I'm not getting a huge variety because it's mostly ruby-throated hummingbirds in my area, and they're territorial. Hummingbird feeders need to be in an area where the hummingbird has shelter, and it's not recommended to keep them near bird feeders for larger birds. I had mixed luck with hummingbirds in the early months of the year, but as summer turned to fall, visits picked up.
My one complaint about the Hummingbird Feeder is the hook for it. It slots into two divots on the side of the feeder, but it doesn't stay in place, and I always have to fix it. I've also noticed that the flowers are straight down and can't be angled at all, which is different from other hummingbird feeders I've had.
I do wish that Bird Buddy sold the Hummingbird Feeder with another enclosure, because it's not useful for most people several months out of the year. I packed mine up in late September.
Bird Buddy App
The Bird Buddy app is the key part of the Bird Buddy system. The cameras in the bird feeders snap photos that are sent to you as "postcards" in the Bird Buddy app. Not every visit is recorded, with Bird Buddy choosing the best images and visits to preserve battery life.
Receiving postcards from visiting birds is free, as is the identification that the app offers. You can use the Bird Buddy without paying any kind of additional fees for the app.
The app has changed a lot over the last couple of years, and sometimes, I think the addition of new AI features made detection worse. It's accurate about what bird has visited about 80 percent of the time, but the other 20 percent, it can be way off or unable to detect a bird at all. I don't mind too much because I can see what the bird is and I typically know the ones around me, but it can be problematic for people who are trying to use the app to learn more about birds. I do sometimes find myself having to look up a particular bird to figure out what it actually is, but there are in-app features for reporting misidentified birds, so I hope the detection is going to improve over time.
There is a subscription that adds premium features, but it's not mandatory, does not include any of the core features, and it is opt-in.
The subscription lets you share live stream access with more people, it unlocks 2K Ultra resolution, adds more cloud storage, and it lets you watch more remote feeders from around the world. There are also options to name frequent visitors, get tips if you come across a sick bird, chat with AI for bird info, and identify birds by sound with your
iPhone.
Nature Station
Bird Buddy has a Nature Station, which is basically a pole system for the different Bird Buddy bird feeders and products. It's $349, so it's expensive for a pole, but it is the most premium pole that I've seen.
I've had the Nature Station outside in the full sun and rain for about six months now, and it still looks new. The light blue powder coating hasn't chipped or degraded at all, and it's stable in the soil. There are three larch wood arms with prongs, and each arm can hold multiple feeders. There are also add-on arms for bird houses and the Bird Buddy bath. At the bottom, there's an optional pollinator planter where you can put flowers to attract additional birds and butterflies. I don't have this, but it's essentially just a pot with drainage holes and a slot for the pole to go into.
The baffle design does work, and I haven't had a squirrel that's able to climb it. Squirrels are crafty creatures, so you do need to make sure that it's out of range of anywhere a squirrel can jump from. Raccoons also aren't able to skirt the baffle. The ground stakes are secure, and I've been happy with its performance even in an area that can get fairly wet.
The Nature Station is around 90 inches tall, but if you want it to be shorter you can leave out a pole segment. I don't have anything negative to say about the Nature Station other than pointing out that it's probably more than most people are going to want to pay for a pole system. I have seen some reviews about the plastic arms snapping off, but my review unit did not have those arms so I am unable to comment on them. I just have the three branches, which have worked fine for holding feeders.
I have a fairly expensive pole setup from Wild Birds Unlimited as well, and Bird Buddy's version is sturdier and better looking. My Wild Birds Unlimited pole has many of the same components, but the base isn't as stable and I have a harder time keeping it upright.
Upcoming Products
Bird Buddy recently
announced the Bird Buddy 2. It has an upgraded dual solar panel that provides more power, it's faster at detection, it can identify birds with sound, and it holds more seed, so it's definitely worth considering if you're thinking about getting a Bird Buddy. I haven't had a chance to try the Bird Buddy 2 yet, but I'll share a review in the future if I'm able to test it.
Bird Buddy also has a Bird Bath option that doesn't seem to be widely available yet, and I'm not sure how to get one.
Finally, there's
a Kickstarter project for a "Wonder" camera that can be put anywhere and can identify bugs, birds, and other critters. It's coming in June 2026. I backed this one, so I should be able to share a review when it comes out.
Bottom Line
Two years in, I still like getting notifications from the Bird Buddy and seeing what birds are coming to the feeder, even if they're the same birds I'm seeing all the time. What visits does change with the seasons, and sometimes I get special visitors that are out of the ordinary.
I have not had issues with the Bird Buddy feeders, and they are still functioning with no issue. The app can be a little hit or miss, but it's still fun to receive bird postcards and browse through my visitors each day. I've bought the Bird Buddy as gifts, and it's still my favorite thing to give people that are hard to shop for. If you don't mind getting into the habit of refilling and maintaining bird feeders, the Bird Buddy is a fun and family friendly way to bring some nature indoors.
How to Buy
The Bird Buddy Pro and Hummingbird Feeder Pro can be
purchased from the Bird Buddy website. The Smart Bird Feeder is $209, while the Hummingbird Feeder is the same price. Solar charging is an additional $50 fee. The Nature Station is $350 and is also
available from the Bird Buddy website.
Note: Bird Buddy provided MacRumors with a Hummingbird Feeder Pro and Nature Station for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.This article, "
Review: Bird Buddy's Hummingbird Feeder and Accessories Put Nature at Your Fingertips" first appeared on
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