Odds are, at this level you’ve most likely seen or know somebody who has a sensible 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 definitely worth the $100-plus price ticket. Are they really sturdy? And what concerning the squirrel drawback?
Fortunate for you we’ve been testing the most well-liked sensible chicken feeder fashions, together with Netvue’s unique Birdfy feeder ($135) and Chicken 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-compulsory 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 Chicken Buddy’s Professional hummingbird feeder as picks; a hummingbird feeder from Harymor, seed feeders from Sehmua, IsYoung, and PeckPerk; and a brand new evaluation of the FeatherSnap Scout. We additionally added info on coping with squirrels.
Desk of Contents
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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 seek 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 choosing up simply birds or any sort of outside 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 each for 2 weeks at minimal, however often for over a month.
Ideas for a Higher Chicken Feeder Expertise
AccordionItemContainerButtonKeep feeders tremendous clear. The very last thing you need to do to your feathered company 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 really useful by Audubon. Rinse and dry completely 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. When you suspect one thing, you will need to take away the feeder till issues look higher.Solely get a hummingbird feeder if you happen to’re devoted to conserving it spotless. You should be much more diligent about cleanliness right here. You should clear a hummingbird feeder each two to a few days. Nectar sitting within the solar harbors micro organism development rapidly, which might trigger hummingbird tongues to swell and nearly at all times ends of their loss of life. Pink 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 would possibly make them sick. As a substitute, go for feeders with crimson items to get their consideration or keep on 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 approach outlined above goes for baths. It’s also possible to take into account 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 seek out it and belief it. If after just a few 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.AccordionItemContainerButton
{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 and marketing 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 can 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 chronic rodents, and the squirrel harm I’ve sustained on check feeders has been minor. With the Birdfy Professional Duo, beneath, the animals chewed off the sides 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 chicken 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).
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 provided by Birdfy. Another choice is utilizing seed handled with capsaicin, or scorching 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 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?
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Greatest Total
Netvue
Birdfy Plastic Sensible Chicken Feeder
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 value 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 beneath), and this feeder may be very typically on sale for $200 or much less. When you 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 at all times establish birds appropriately. That is the feeder I purchased my mother and father for Christmas throughout an Amazon Prime Day sale, and so they’ve had an identical expertise. That stated, I’ve examined feeders from a number of manufacturers and, given the large 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 typically than it does not.
{Photograph}: Medea Giordano
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. When you’re hoping for a bird-feeder/security-camera hybrid, although, this might be precisely what you need—particularly because it gives coloration night time 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 Chicken Buddy with its handy flip-up prime. Not all bundles include a photo voltaic panel, however you possibly can purchase it individually. In contrast to different feeders, the photo voltaic panel will not be in-built and should 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.)
Greatest-Wanting
Netvue
Birdfy Bamboo Sensible Chicken Feeder
Birdfy has a number of feeders we advocate. This bamboo one is the perfect wanting, but it surely comes with a little bit of repairs. It does not have plastic components like the remainder of the feeders on this listing, 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 giant bins for both various kinds 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 if you happen to choose that.
Like a lot of the different feeders on this listing, it may be mounted on a pole or tree or hung from a hook. It additionally comes with a photo voltaic panel that you would be able to mount as nicely, so that you by no means have to consider charging the digicam battery.
As lovely 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 person handbook states that it must be sealed. Through Reddit, Birdfy recommends sealing utilizing a bird-safe wooden sealer. I am unable to remark immediately on its sturdiness, since once I examined this feeder I used it on a desk on my coated balcony. —Medea Giordano
Greatest Sensible Hummingbird Feeder
Chicken Buddy
Professional Sensible Photo voltaic Hummingbird Feeder
Chicken Buddy is understood for its user-friendliness and considerate app, and its new Professional Sensible Hummingbird Feeder is not any exception. Every thing about its use is intuitive and straightforward. AI identification, 5-MP photographs, HD 2K video with slo-mo, every little 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 along with your telephone is a cinch, integrating it into the Chicken Buddy app with different feeders is a snap, and even filling it’s no drawback—in contrast to different feeders which have weirdly cavernous capacities and/or should be stuffed the wrong way up, the Chicken Buddy’s backside screws off and holds an inexpensive 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’re 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 Chicken Buddy Professional seed feeder (7/10, WIRED Recommends), the sensor doesn’t at all times choose up each chicken that visits, which might positively be a bummer once you see one thing fascinating 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.
Greatest-Wanting Sensible Birdhouse
Birdfy
Nest Polygon 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 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 gear is situated 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 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 a little bit 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 stated it ought to solely be a matter of time.
Greatest App
Chicken Buddy
Sensible Chicken Feeder Professional
Chicken 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 discipline 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, but it surely’s completely usable with out this. )
The photographs 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 continuously 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 choose to go to. (Finches apparently like to go to my yard every single day at 10 am). The Chicken Buddy additionally “sleeps” at night time and doesn’t appear to emphasise capturing photographs of individuals, so it would not make a good selection to double as a safety digicam. Each Chicken 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). When you dwell in an space frequented by squirrels, I extremely advocate abiding by Chicken 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 Chicken 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 Chicken 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 unlimited mess. I even have the 3-in-1 Diet 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 price it if you happen to plan to reap the benefits of among the app’s sharing options, particularly Premium’s capacity to share your feeder livestream with others.
Really helpful 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 perfect photograph and video high quality of any chicken feeder I’ve examined, bar none. There’s one dual-lens front-facing digicam (2-MP/1080p large angle and 3-MP/2K portrait) and one 2-MP/1080p aspect 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 nicely thus far 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 bother with the rodents chewing off the perimeters and compartment dividers throughout my two months of testing. (I had marginal success mixing Audubon Wild Chicken Meals with habanero-based Cole’s Flaming Squirrel Sauce, $16, however the squirrels did come again ultimately.)
