Odds are, at this level you’ve most likely seen or know somebody who has a wise chicken 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 shiny 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 preferred sensible chicken feeder fashions, together with Netvue’s unique Birdfy feeder ($135) and Fowl Buddy’s new Professional mannequin ($219), 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 optionally available 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 Could 2025 : We added Birdfy’s Polygon sensible birdhouse and Fowl Buddy’s Professional hummingbird feeder as picks; a hummingbird feeder from Harymor, seed feeders from Sehmua, IsYoung, and PeckPerk; and a brand new evaluate of the FeatherSnap Scout. We additionally added info on coping with squirrels.
Desk of Contents
Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano examined some feeders on a balcony in Texas and one in a yard in Pennsylvania. In Texas, she set them up each on a desk in addition to secured to the railing with the included mounting straps. In Pennsylvania, she used the bracket mounts to connect to a pole. WIRED reviewer Kat Merck examined feeders in a rural-surburban neighborhood in southwest Washington. The feeders had been mounted straight on the home or on a fence with the included bracket mounts, or hung from a shepherd’s hook.
After setup, we crammed them with chicken seed (or, within the case of the hummingbird feeders, a nectar combination of 4-to-1 granulated sugar and water) and patiently waited for the native birds to search out them. We checked out all of the included app options, seeing how typically we bought notifications and noting whether or not they’re precisely selecting up simply birds or any kind of out of doors motion, and the way nicely they’re capable of distinguish chicken species. We disassembled and cleaned them, returning them to their mounts after. We check every one for 2 weeks at minimal, however normally for over a month.
Suggestions for a Higher Fowl Feeder Expertise
- Preserve feeders tremendous clear. The very last thing you need to do to your feathered friends is make them unwell from consuming moldy seeds or unfold avian ailments. Each two weeks, scrub feeders with heat, soapy water after which both soak them in a single half bleach to 9 elements water or one half white vinegar to at least one half water—each strategies are beneficial by Audubon. Rinse and dry completely earlier than including extra seed (you do not need bleach residue both). Regulate chicken flu outbreaks and take note of what the birds appear to be at your personal feeders. If you happen to suspect one thing, you may need to take away the feeder till issues look higher.
- Solely get a hummingbird feeder should you’re devoted to retaining it spotless. You’ll want to be much more diligent about cleanliness right here. You’ll want to clear a hummingbird feeder each two to 3 days. Nectar sitting within the solar harbors micro organism development rapidly, which may trigger hummingbird tongues to swell and virtually at all times ends of their dying. Purple attracts these birds, however do not use purple nectar. There aren’t any research conclusively proving that dye harms birds, however at finest it is pointless and at worst may make them sick. As a substitute, go for feeders with purple items to get their consideration or stick with planting hummingbird-friendly flowers and skip the feeder altogether.
- Add a water supply too. Birds want clear water for ingesting and bathing, so you can also make your yard extra of an oasis by offering it. The identical cleansing approach outlined above goes for baths. You can too think about including common chicken homes for birds to nest.
- Give birds time. You possible will not see birds at your feeder day one. Give them time to search out it and belief it. If after a couple of weeks you continue to haven’t got guests, it could be time to reevaluate what sort of chicken seeds you are utilizing or the place you’ve got positioned it.
{Photograph}: Kat Merck
As is the case with any chicken feeder, squirrels like to eat at sensible chicken feeders, which aren’t squirrel-proof, no matter advertising claims. Nevertheless, many of the sensible feeders we’ve examined are simply as sturdy, if not in some instances sturdier, than analog chicken feeders. If the feeder is hanging, the worst that may most likely occur is that the squirrel’s weight will trigger it to swing wildly, spilling seed onto the bottom. If it’s mounted, the worst-case state of affairs is probably going the squirrel consuming all of the seed, chewing the sides, and overlaying up the digicam with its fuzzy butt.
The yard the place I check sensible feeders year-round is awful with the big and protracted rodents, and the squirrel harm I’ve sustained on check feeders has been minor. With the Birdfy Professional Duo, under, the animals chewed off the sides to raised get on the seed provide when it was low, and the FeatherSnap Scout had its mounting bent. Prime of thoughts is the 5-7-9 technique of siting a chicken feeder—at the very least 5 toes off the bottom, at the very least 7 toes away from any constructions, and at the very least 9 toes away from something a squirrel might leap from (branches, fences, roofs).
Another choice is an aftermarket baffle added to feeders hanging on shepherd’s hooks, or a pole with a built-in baffle, like this one supplied by Birdfy. Another choice is utilizing seed handled with capsaicin, or sizzling pepper. Birds don’t have capsaicin receptors like mammals do, in order that they’re not affected by the style. That stated, I’ve discovered capsaicin solely retains squirrels away for a few days, whether or not as a result of they’ve gotten used to it or the pepper loses its efficiency when uncovered to the weather. As a final resort, you might at all times simply study to stay with the squirrels and dedicate a feeder to them, though my neighbor does this and I am of the thoughts it brings much more squirrels to the world.
What Are We Testing Subsequent?
Finest General
This cheery blue and white 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 score for its worth and wonky AI. Each metrics have improved since then—I used to be impressed with the Birdfy app’s AI after I examined the upgraded 2 Duo (see under), and this feeder could be very typically on sale for $200 or much less. If you happen to pay $20 extra, you get a lifetime subscription of AI identification, which is a stable deal. With out it, it will price you $5 a month. Medea examined each this and the Birdfy bamboo feeder (under) and located the AI recognition did not at all times establish birds accurately. That is the feeder I purchased my dad and mom for Christmas throughout an Amazon Prime Day sale, and so they’ve had an analogous expertise. That stated, I’ve examined feeders from a number of manufacturers and, given the broad variability in lighting, shadows, and digicam 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 digicam picks up much more motion from non-birds, so you might find yourself with a ton of notifications relying on the place that is positioned. If you happen to’re hoping for a bird-feeder/security-camera hybrid, although, this could possibly be precisely what you need—particularly because it provides colour evening imaginative and prescient. The IP65 plastic building additionally makes this feeder sturdy and simpler to wash, and the 50-ounce seed reservoir is much simpler to fill than the Fowl Buddy with its handy flip-up prime. Not all bundles include a photo voltaic panel, however you may purchase it individually. Not like different feeders, the photo voltaic panel is just not in-built and must be mounted and related individually with the included 9.8-foot charging cable. (The Birdfy comes with a pole mount, wall mount, and tree strap.)
Finest-Wanting
Birdfy has a number of feeders we suggest. This bamboo one is the very best wanting, nevertheless it comes with a little bit of repairs. It does not have plastic elements like the remainder of the feeders on this record, and with its black and pure wooden hues, it appears to be like prefer it belongs in nature. An extendable perch lets a number of birds collect and examine, and it has two massive bins for both several types of seeds or the identical. The bins mingle within the tray on the backside, nonetheless. The FeatherSnap feeder under makes use of separate bins and trays should you choose that.
Like many of the different feeders on this record, it may be mounted on a pole or tree or hung from a hook. It additionally comes with a photo voltaic panel you can mount as nicely, so that you by no means have to consider charging the digicam battery.
As stunning because the bamboo feeder is, it does require upkeep. Birdfy notes that the feeder has a water-resistant score of IP65 and that it is mold- and rot-resistant. Nevertheless, the consumer handbook states that it must be sealed. Through Reddit, Birdfy recommends sealing utilizing a bird-safe wooden sealer. I am unable to remark straight on its sturdiness, since after I examined this feeder I used it on a desk on my coated balcony. —Medea Giordano
Finest Good Hummingbird Feeder
Fowl Buddy is understood for its user-friendliness and considerate app, and its new Professional Good Hummingbird Feeder isn’t any exception. All the pieces about its use is intuitive and straightforward. AI identification, 5-MP pictures, HD 2K video with slo-mo, every part you want is included out of the field—no subscription wanted. There’s no auxiliary photo voltaic panel to fret about, because it’s constructed into the roof. Pairing along with your cellphone is a cinch, integrating it into the Fowl Buddy app with different feeders is a snap, and even filling it’s no downside—in contrast to different feeders which have weirdly cavernous capacities and/or have to be crammed the other way up, the Fowl Buddy’s backside screws off and holds an affordable 1.75 cups of liquid. That is extra vital than you’d suppose, as Cornell Lab of Ornithology factors out that the better it’s to wash a hummingbird feeder, the extra possible you might be to do it typically and nicely.
{Photograph}: Kat Merck
It additionally comes with additional plastic flowers and a brush, and the app sends reminders as to when it is time to clear. As with the Fowl Buddy Professional seed feeder (7/10, WIRED Recommends), the sensor doesn’t at all times decide up each chicken that visits, which may positively be a bummer if you see one thing fascinating out the window nevertheless it doesn’t present up within the app. Hopefully that is one thing that may be remedied on subsequent app updates.
Finest-Wanting Good Birdhouse
Birdfy’s new Polygon Good Birdhouse (7/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t the primary sensible birdhouse in the marketplace, however it’s the most interesting-looking. The parallelogram-esque, turquoise-paneled form gained a Gold award at 2024’s French Design Awards, and it’s straightforward sufficient to mount on a pole, fence, or tree. All of the digicam tools is positioned in an easy-to-open rear hatch, and there’s even a distant management on the finish of a 10-foot wire to have the ability to cost (although it has a built-in photo voltaic panel, so that you possible gained’t must) or reset the 1080p digicam.
{Photograph}: Kat Merck
It is easy to combine with the easy-to-use Birdfy app, which is prepared and ready to assemble a chicken’s shareable “story,” from meeting of the nest to hatching to fledgling, and at last “the tip,” when the nest is deserted for the season. Notice that the digicam does emit an audible click on at any time when it is triggered by motion or the app, and the within is a bit bigger than most birds would naturally gravitate to. Our check home hasn’t had any chicken guests but this 12 months, however a venture director for Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s NestWatch stated it ought to solely be a matter of time.
Finest App
Fowl Buddy’s latest improve (7/10, WIRED Recommends) appears to be like a lot the identical as its soon-to-be-phased-out unique feeder, save for a snazzy new HDR digicam that may additionally shoot 2K HD video with slow-motion functionality. It has been going robust in my yard for over 4 months now. Along with having a visibly bigger, extra superior lens, the digicam’s now bought a bigger focus vary, wider area of view, and high-fidelity microphone. (A subscription to Premium for $7.50 a month unlocks 2K Extremely with a better video bitrate, permitting for richer colours, sharper pictures, and fewer background noise, nevertheless it’s completely usable with out this. )
The pictures aren’t practically as spectacular because the Birdfy Duo’s, and the digicam, frustratingly, solely captures a handful of the birds that go to. (The non-solar model is at present flagged as a steadily returned merchandise on Amazon as a consequence of each this and charging points, so I like to recommend the photo voltaic model.) However the app is a standout, with a user-friendly design and loads of useful alerts, like if a cat is detected close by, or if it is time to clear the feeder. It additionally serves you insights gathered over time, like what time sure species appear to choose to go to. (Finches apparently like to go to my yard daily at 10 am). The Fowl Buddy additionally “sleeps” at evening and doesn’t appear to emphasise capturing pictures of individuals, so it would not make a good selection to double as a safety digicam. Each Fowl Buddys work with 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi solely.
Screenshot courtesy of Kat Merck
Set up choices embrace a hanger or common mount for a standard-size pole (not included). If you happen to stay in an space frequented by squirrels, I extremely suggest abiding by Fowl Buddy’s “5-7-9” rule for siting your feeder: 5 toes off the bottom, 7 toes away from bushes or constructions, and 9 toes of clearance above it. Squirrels have not proven curiosity in chewing my Fowl Buddy Professional, which is hanging from a shepherd’s hook close to a tree, however they’ll swing on it, spilling a lot of the seed.
One of many largest downsides of each Fowl Buddys is the infuriatingly small, hinged opening for filling the 4 cups’ value of seed. The feeder comes with its personal spouted cup, however I’ve but to fill the feeder with out making an unlimited mess. I even have the 3-in-1 Vitamin Set ($40), which features a screw-on tray that may variably develop into a water fountain, jelly dish, or fruit stake for fruit-loving species like orioles. I’ve used it as a jelly dish and water fountain and located that it blocks sufficient of the perch space that birds are inclined to shift out of digicam view to keep away from it. General, this improve over the unique could also be value it should you plan to benefit from among the app’s sharing options, particularly Premium’s capability to share your feeder livestream with others.
Advisable With Reservations
Birdfy’s flagship improve for 2025, winner of this 12 months’s CES Innovation Award and an American Good Design Gold Award, has the very best picture and video high quality of any chicken feeder I’ve examined, bar none. There’s one dual-lens front-facing digicam (2-MP/1080p broad angle and 3-MP/2K portrait) and one 2-MP/1080p facet digicam, and each seize sharp, extremely detailed video with high-quality sound. The front-facing digicam will even pan and crop to make sure it is targeted on a chicken. (Notice that there is additionally a less expensive, single-camera model of the Feeder 2 that we have not examined.) The feeder’s IP66-rated plastic physique, which has held up very nicely to date in Pacific Northwest winter climate, is wall-, pole-, or tree-mountable. An auxiliary photo voltaic panel and lifelong AI chicken identification are each included.
The reservoir holds barely much less seed than the unique plastic Birdfy, at 42 ounces vs. Birdfy 1’s 50 ounces, which is simply as nicely, as this feeder appears to be a magnet for squirrels who prefer to chew on it and steal the seed. I had fixed hassle with the rodents chewing off the perimeters and compartment dividers throughout my two months of testing. (I had marginal success mixing Audubon Wild Fowl Meals with habanero-based Cole’s Flaming Squirrel Sauce, $16, however the squirrels did come again ultimately.)
