Odds are, at this level you’ve in all probability seen or know somebody who has a sensible hen 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 vibrant 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 concerning the squirrel downside?
Fortunate for you we’ve been testing the most well-liked good hen 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 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 good 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 overview of the FeatherSnap Scout. We additionally added data 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 crammed them with hen 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 outside motion, and the way properly they’re in a position to distinguish hen species. We disassembled and cleaned them, returning them to their mounts after. We take a look at each for 2 weeks at minimal, however often for over a month.
Ideas for a Higher Chook Feeder Expertise
- Maintain feeders tremendous clear. The very last thing you need to do to your feathered friends is make them ailing 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 1 half water—each strategies are really useful by Audubon. Rinse and dry totally earlier than including extra seed (you don’t need bleach residue both). Control hen flu outbreaks and take note of what the birds appear like at your individual feeders. In the event you suspect one thing, you may need to take away the feeder till issues look higher.
- Solely get a hummingbird feeder in the event you’re devoted to preserving 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 a few days. Nectar sitting within the solar harbors micro organism progress rapidly, which may trigger hummingbird tongues to swell and nearly at all times ends of their loss of life. Purple attracts these birds, however do not use crimson nectar. There are not any research conclusively proving that dye harms birds, however at finest it is pointless and at worst may make them sick. As an alternative, go for feeders with crimson 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 ingesting 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 as well take into account including common hen homes for birds to nest.
- Give birds time. You doubtless 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 haven’t got guests, it could be time to reevaluate what sort of hen seeds you are utilizing or the place you have positioned it.
{Photograph}: Kat Merck
As is the case with any hen feeder, squirrels like to eat at good hen feeders, which aren’t squirrel-proof, no matter advertising and marketing claims. Nevertheless, a lot of the good feeders we’ve examined are simply as sturdy, if not in some instances sturdier, than analog hen 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 perimeters, and protecting up the digicam with its fuzzy butt.
The yard the place I take a look at good feeders year-round is awful with the big and chronic rodents, and the squirrel injury I’ve sustained on take a look at feeders has been minor. With the Birdfy Professional Duo, under, the animals chewed off the perimeters to higher get on the seed provide when it was low, and the FeatherSnap Scout had its mounting bent. High of thoughts is the 5-7-9 methodology of siting a hen feeder—not less than 5 toes off the bottom, not less than 7 toes away from any buildings, and not less than 9 toes away from something a squirrel may leap from (branches, fences, roofs).
An alternative 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. An alternative choice is utilizing seed handled with capsaicin, or scorching 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 could possibly at all times simply study 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 realm.
What Are We Testing Subsequent?
Finest General
This cheery blue and white feeder, from safety firm Netvue, is the primary good 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 once I examined the upgraded 2 Duo (see under), and this feeder could be very usually on sale for $200 or much less. In the event you pay $20 extra, you get a lifetime subscription of AI identification, which is a stable deal. With out it, it’s going to value you $5 a month. Medea examined each this and the Birdfy bamboo feeder (under) and located the AI recognition did not at all times determine birds appropriately. That is the feeder I purchased my mother and father for Christmas throughout an Amazon Prime Day sale, they usually’ve had an identical expertise. That mentioned, 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. In contrast to some manufacturers’, Birdfy’s AI nonetheless works extra usually than it would not.
Medea discovered that the 1080P wide-angle digicam picks up much more motion from non-birds, so it’s possible you’ll find yourself with a ton of notifications relying on the place that is positioned. In the event you’re hoping for a bird-feeder/security-camera hybrid, although, this may very well be precisely what you need—particularly because it affords coloration evening imaginative and prescient. The IP65 plastic development additionally makes this feeder sturdy and simpler to wash, and the 50-ounce seed reservoir is way simpler to fill than the Chook Buddy with its handy flip-up high. Not all bundles include a photo voltaic panel, however you’ll be able to purchase it individually. In contrast to different feeders, the photo voltaic panel just isn’t inbuilt 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-Trying
Birdfy has a number of feeders we advocate. This bamboo one is the very best wanting, however it comes with a little bit of repairs. It would not have plastic elements like the remainder of the feeders on this record, and with its black and pure wooden hues, it appears 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 under makes use of separate bins and trays in the event you favor 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 that you may mount as properly, 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 handbook states that it must be sealed. By way of Reddit, Birdfy recommends sealing utilizing a bird-safe wooden sealer. I can not remark immediately on its sturdiness, since once I examined this feeder I used it on a desk on my coated balcony. —Medea Giordano
Finest Good Hummingbird Feeder
Chook Buddy is thought for its user-friendliness and considerate app, and its new Professional Good Hummingbird Feeder is not any exception. All the pieces about its use is intuitive and straightforward. AI identification, 5-MP photographs, HD 2K video with slo-mo, every thing 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 crammed the wrong way up, the Chook 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 simpler it’s to wash a hummingbird feeder, the extra doubtless you’re to do it usually and properly.
{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 Chook Buddy Professional seed feeder (7/10, WIRED Recommends), the sensor doesn’t at all times choose up each hen that visits, which may undoubtedly be a bummer once you see one thing attention-grabbing out the window however it doesn’t present up within the app. Hopefully that is one thing that may be remedied on subsequent app updates.
Finest-Trying Good Birdhouse
Birdfy’s new Polygon Good Birdhouse (7/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t the primary good birdhouse available on the market, 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 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 twine to have the ability to cost (although it has a built-in photo voltaic panel, so that you doubtless 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 hen’s shareable “story,” from meeting of the nest to hatching to fledgling, and at last “the end,” when the nest is deserted for the season. Word 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 slightly bigger than most birds would naturally gravitate to. Our take a look at home hasn’t had any hen 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) appears 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 sturdy 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 discipline of view, and high-fidelity microphone. (A subscription to Premium for $7.50 a month unlocks 2K Extremely with the next video bitrate, permitting for richer colours, sharper photographs, and fewer background noise, however it’s completely usable with out this. )
The photographs 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 ceaselessly returned merchandise on Amazon attributable to 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 favor to go to. (Finches apparently like to go to my yard on daily basis at 10 am). The Chook Buddy additionally “sleeps” at evening and doesn’t appear to emphasise capturing photographs 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 embody a hanger or common mount for a standard-size pole (not included). In the event you dwell in an space frequented by squirrels, I extremely advocate abiding by Chook Buddy’s “5-7-9” rule for siting your feeder: 5 toes off the bottom, 7 toes away from timber or buildings, and 9 toes 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 are going to 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’ price of seed. The feeder comes with its personal spouted cup, however I’ve but to fill the feeder with out making an infinite mess. I even have the 3-in-1 Diet 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 likely to shift out of digicam view to keep away from it. General, this improve over the unique could also be price it in the event you plan to reap the benefits of a number of the app’s sharing options, particularly Premium’s capacity to share your feeder livestream with others.
Beneficial With Reservations
Birdfy’s flagship improve for 2025, winner of this yr’s CES Innovation Award and an American Good Design Gold Award, has the very best picture and video high quality of any hen 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 hen. (Word 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 properly thus far in Pacific Northwest winter climate, is wall-, pole-, or tree-mountable. An auxiliary photo voltaic panel and lifelong AI hen 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 properly, as this feeder appears to be a magnet for squirrels who wish 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 finally.)
