Birdwatching has gone digital, with more and more people turning to smart feeders equipped with cameras and smartphone connectivity. Some might argue that this defeats the whole purpose of birdwatching: taking a break from the digital world and connecting with nature. On the other hand, a smart feeder might be your best chance of spotting a rare bird in your backyard while you are busy with your 9-to-5 job.
Founded in New York in 2020, Birdbuddy is one of several companies making these devices. It recently introduced its first smart feeder, priced at US$99. It’s called Nook, and it’s aimed at people who are new to birdwatching or simply want to give it a try.
Bird Buddy
So, what exactly makes Nook smart? A few things. Like other similar feeders on the market, it has a built-in camera that activates when a bird lands in front of it. It’s also equipped with an AI-powered system that can recognize 11,000 species. The device can additionally identify specific returning birds, allowing you to create individual profiles for them and even give them names.
Nook features a 2K HDR camera with a reasonably wide 135-degree field of view. It captures both photos and videos in portrait or landscape mode.
Bird Buddy
The feeder connects to your smartphone through an app and sends notifications when a bird stops by. If there is a sick bird or an unwanted visitor, such as a cat, the app can notify you about that as well. It also features an AI chatbot called Nature Chat, which can tell you some fun bird facts.
It’s worth noting, though, that a paid membership is required for some of those features, such as automatic AI recognition, unlimited Nature Chat prompts, and naming individual birds. An annual membership costs $69. The basic functions remain free, including the most important one: capturing and downloading photos and videos. The free version also allows up to 10 people to connect to the same profile, which would be fun if your family members share the same interests.
The device obviously requires a Wi-Fi connection to operate, so you’ll want to keep that in mind when choosing where to install it.
The base Nook model comes with a rechargeable battery that is advertised to last up to a month. Battery levels can be monitored through the app, and the device charges via USB-C. There’s also a version of Nook that comes with solar panels integrated into the roof – it costs $159.
Bird Buddy
With the solar version, weather is an important factor to consider. If you live in a warmer, sunnier climate, you might not even need to recharge the battery manually. But colder winters and shorter days can definitely affect the performance of the battery and the solar panels. According to Birdbuddy, the feeder is designed to operate in temperatures ranging from -20.5 °C to 48.5 °C (-5 °F to 120 °F).
Nook is quite compact, measuring 176.5 x 150 x 158.5 mm (6.9 x 5.9 x 6.2 in), while Nook Solar is just slightly larger in all dimensions. Both versions have a seed capacity of 0.9 l (3.8 cups).
Birdbuddy has also introduced the Birdbuddy Home, a slightly bigger smart feeder with a seed capacity of 1.4 l and larger solar panels. It’s priced at $219.
Source: Birdbuddy
