Odds are, at this level you’ve in all probability 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 brilliant goldfinch or good-looking woodpecker (responsible). The query at this level, then, is whether or not these items are actually definitely worth the $100-plus price ticket. Are they really sturdy? And what concerning the squirrel downside?
Fortunate for you we’ve been testing the most well-liked sensible chicken feeder fashions, together with Netvue’s authentic Birdfy feeder ($135) and Chook 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 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 Might 2025 : We added Birdfy’s Polygon sensible birdhouse and Chook Buddy’s Professional hummingbird feeder as picks; a hummingbird feeder from Harymor, seed feeders from Sehmua, IsYoung, and PeckPerk; and a brand new assessment 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 immediately on the home or on a fence with the included bracket mounts, or hung from a shepherd’s hook.
After setup, we stuffed 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 usually we acquired notifications and noting whether or not they’re precisely selecting up simply birds or any sort of out of doors motion, and the way effectively 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 often for over a month.
Ideas for a Higher Chook Feeder Expertise
- Preserve feeders tremendous clear. The very last thing you need to do to your feathered visitors is make them unwell from consuming moldy seeds or unfold avian illnesses. Each two weeks, scrub feeders with heat, soapy water after which both soak them in a single half bleach to 9 components water or one half white vinegar to 1 half water—each strategies are advisable by Audubon. Rinse and dry totally earlier than including extra seed (you do not need bleach residue both). Control chicken flu outbreaks and take note of what the birds appear to be at your individual feeders. If you happen to suspect one thing, you will need to take away the feeder till issues look higher.
- Solely get a hummingbird feeder for those who’re devoted to retaining it spotless. You might want to be much more diligent about cleanliness right here. You might want to clear a hummingbird feeder each two to 3 days. Nectar sitting within the solar harbors micro organism progress rapidly, which might trigger hummingbird tongues to swell and nearly all the time ends of their dying. Pink attracts these birds, however do not use pink nectar. There are not any research conclusively proving that dye harms birds, however at finest it is pointless and at worst would possibly make them sick. As a substitute, go for feeders with pink items to get their consideration or persist with planting hummingbird-friendly flowers and skip the feeder altogether.
- Add a water supply too. Birds want clear water for consuming and bathing, so you can also make your yard extra of an oasis by offering it. The identical cleansing method outlined above goes for baths. You may also 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 number of weeks you continue to do not have guests, it is likely to 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, a lot of the sensible feeders we’ve examined are simply as sturdy, if not in some circumstances sturdier, than analog chicken feeders. If the feeder is hanging, the worst that may in all probability 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 protecting up the digicam with its fuzzy butt.
The yard the place I check sensible feeders year-round is awful with the massive and protracted rodents, and the squirrel injury I’ve sustained on check feeders has been minor. With the Birdfy Professional Duo, beneath, 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 methodology of siting a chicken feeder—a minimum of 5 ft off the bottom, a minimum of 7 ft away from any buildings, and a minimum of 9 ft away from something a squirrel might bounce 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, so that they’re not affected by the style. That mentioned, 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 can all the time simply be taught to dwell 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 Total
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 beneath), and this feeder may be very usually 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 strong deal. With out it, it will value you $5 a month. Medea examined each this and the Birdfy bamboo feeder (beneath) and located the AI recognition did not all the time 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 the same expertise. That mentioned, I’ve examined feeders from a number of manufacturers and, given the extensive variability in lighting, shadows, and digicam cleanliness, no AI goes to carry out flawlessly. Not like some manufacturers’, Birdfy’s AI nonetheless works extra usually 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 may very well be precisely what you need—particularly because it gives shade evening imaginative and prescient. The IP65 plastic development additionally makes this feeder sturdy and simpler to scrub, and the 50-ounce seed reservoir is much simpler to fill than the Chook Buddy with its handy flip-up high. Not all bundles include a photo voltaic panel, however you should buy it individually. Not like different feeders, the photo voltaic panel isn’t in-built and must 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.)
Finest-Wanting
Birdfy has a number of feeders we advocate. This bamboo one is one of the best wanting, but it surely comes with a little bit of maintenance. It does not have plastic components like the remainder of the feeders on this record, and with its black and pure wooden hues, it seems to be 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, nevertheless. The FeatherSnap feeder beneath makes use of separate bins and trays for those who want that.
Like a lot 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 which you can mount as effectively, 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-proof score of IP65 and that it is mold- and rot-resistant. Nevertheless, the consumer guide states that it must be sealed. By way of Reddit, Birdfy recommends sealing utilizing a bird-safe wooden sealer. I am unable to remark immediately on its sturdiness, since after I examined this feeder I used it on a desk on my lined balcony. —Medea Giordano
Finest Sensible Hummingbird Feeder
Chook Buddy is thought for its user-friendliness and considerate app, and its new Professional Sensible Hummingbird Feeder isn’t any exception. The whole lot about its use is intuitive and simple. AI identification, 5-MP images, HD 2K video with slo-mo, all the things 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 together with your telephone is a cinch, integrating it into the Chook Buddy app with different feeders is a snap, and even filling it’s no downside—not like different feeders which have weirdly cavernous capacities and/or have to be stuffed the wrong way up, the Chook Buddy’s backside screws off and holds an affordable 1.75 cups of liquid. That is extra necessary than you’d assume, as Cornell Lab of Ornithology factors out that the simpler it’s to scrub a hummingbird feeder, the extra possible you might be to do it usually and effectively.
{Photograph}: Kat Merck
It additionally comes with further plastic flowers and a brush, and the app sends reminders as to when it is time to clear. As with the Chook Buddy Professional seed feeder (7/10, WIRED Recommends), the sensor doesn’t all the time decide up each chicken that visits, which might undoubtedly be a bummer whenever you see one thing attention-grabbing out the window but it surely doesn’t present up within the app. Hopefully that is one thing that may be remedied on subsequent app updates.
Finest-Wanting Sensible Birdhouse
Birdfy’s new Polygon Sensible 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 received a Gold award at 2024’s French Design Awards, and it’s simple 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 received’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 eventually “the top,” when the nest is deserted for the season. Notice that the digicam does emit an audible click on every time it is triggered by motion or the app, and the within is somewhat bigger than most birds would naturally gravitate to. Our check home hasn’t had any chicken guests but this yr, however a venture director for Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s NestWatch mentioned it ought to solely be a matter of time.
Finest App
Chook Buddy’s latest improve (7/10, WIRED Recommends) seems to be a lot the identical as its soon-to-be-phased-out authentic 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 acquired 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 photographs, and fewer background noise, but it surely’s completely usable with out this. )
The images aren’t almost 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 presently flagged as a incessantly returned merchandise on Amazon because 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 want to go to. (Finches apparently like to go to my yard daily at 10 am). The Chook Buddy additionally “sleeps” at evening and doesn’t appear to emphasise capturing images of individuals, so it would not make a sensible choice to double as a safety digicam. Each Chook 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 dwell in an space frequented by squirrels, I extremely advocate abiding by Chook Buddy’s “5-7-9” rule for siting your feeder: 5 ft off the bottom, 7 ft away from timber or buildings, and 9 ft of clearance above it. Squirrels have not proven curiosity in chewing my Chook Buddy Professional, which is hanging from a shepherd’s hook close to a tree, however they may swing on it, spilling a lot of the seed.
One of many largest downsides of each Chook 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 turn out to be 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 likely to shift out of digicam view to keep away from it. Total, this improve over the unique could also be value it for those who plan to reap the benefits of a number of the app’s sharing options, particularly Premium’s skill to share your feeder livestream with others.
Advisable With Reservations
Birdfy’s flagship improve for 2025, winner of this yr’s CES Innovation Award and an American Good Design Gold Award, has one of the 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 extensive 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 centered 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 effectively to this point 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 effectively, 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 Chook Meals with habanero-based Cole’s Flaming Squirrel Sauce, $16, however the squirrels did come again ultimately.)
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