Bird feeders have come a long way since their inception in the early 1900s. These days, it’s not all that surprising to see feeders kitted out with cameras and solar roofs, two marquee features you’ll find on feeders from both BirdBuddy and Netvue. And while modern hoppers can command a pretty penny, Amazon’s Big Spring Sale has dropped the Netvue Birdfy Feeder to $135.99 ($124 off) and Birdbuddy Pro to $179.99 ($120 off), which are some of the best prices we’ve seen.
At their core, both smart bird feeders are designed to help you keep an eye on your soon-to-be feathery friends, allowing for image stills, video, notifications, and AI-powered identification. Birdfy’s offering cuts corners on hardware to keep costs down, though. It features the widest viewing angle of any model at 155 degrees; however, the video quality maxes out at 1080p, whereas the Birdbuddy Pro allows you to capture crystal-clear 2K video (with slow-mo). The accompanying solar panel isn’t integrated directly into the snap-on roof like it is with the Pro, either, which means it doesn’t look quite as slick once set up.
Software-wise, both motion-activated feeders support 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and feature robust, user-friendly apps that can identify species and alert you when a bird is present. Birdbuddy’s is a bit more lively and capable if you’re willing to subscribe to Birdbuddy Premium ($69.99 a year), which unlocks additional info via an AI-powered chat, unlimited video storage, and the ability to track returning visitors, plus the option to view Birdbuddy feeds from around the world. That said, Birdfy’s bird recognition software is free for life — at least with the bundle on offer here — meaning you won’t have to routinely pay for a subscription just to access the essentials. Just be prepared for lots of notifications.