The Smart AI Recognition Bird Feeder has a built-in camera and may also be connected to the internet or to a smartphone app, which allows users to remotely monitor and control the device. This device can be purchased from the Chinese online retailer Aliexpress, among others. This type of bird feeder immediately aroused my interest, which is why I bought it and present it here. Since January 1, it has been in operation on my balcony.

According to its product description it highlights the following features:

• Recognition of 11000+ bird species
• Bird detection notification
• Self-sufficient energy supply thanks to a solar cell on the roof
• Ip65 waterproof design
• 1080P HD camera with night vision
• Device share function
• Capability to capture unique close-ups

The total scope of delivery looks like this:

• bird feeder housing with camera
• rack for the birds to perch on
• fixture to mount the housing
• manual
• cover to close the roof
• screws and dowels

The app

There is a designated app Bird Lover for the device, which is required for operation. You have to create an account and connect the device. That was quite straightforward. The operation of the app is also user-friendly from my point of view.

There is also a way to connect the device with Alexa. However, the required skill is apparently only offered for American Amazon accounts so far.

The motion detection functioned very reliably right from the start. However, not because a bird was already passing by, but because it recognized my movements during setup.

The night vision image quality seems high enough in order to serve its purpose.

The movements are communicated via push message.

Construction and mounting

The housing offers the possibility of mounting with screws and dowels if necessary. I built a rack of wood for this purpose.

Birdfeed

I chose the birdfeed Complete feed for wild birds from Amazon. Maybe I still need to get some tips for the appropriate bird food.

The birdfeed has the following composition:

• Peeled sunflower seeds 40%
• striated sunflower seeds 20%
• half/whole peanuts 20%
• hemp seeds 5%
• oat flakes 5%
• oat kernels 5%
• red sorghum 5%

First impression after one week

In and of itself, my impression is good after more than a week. The connection to the Wi-Fi and smartphone has been stable and reliable so far. The battery consumption of only 10 percent is also impressive. After all, there is only little sunshine in January and the balcony faces north.
Unfortunately, not a single bird has passed by so far, which I can present to you here. I hope that will change so that I can update the article accordingly.

Brief update (as of 25 January 2023)

After a few days, the first feathered visitors finally ventured to my birdhouse. So far, only pigeons were there. Unfortunately, I also had to struggle with the first connection problems and had to reset the device. The push messages come immediately and in adequate quality.

Update as of March 2023:
In the meantime, I set up the smartbirdfeeder camera at my parents' house in a somewhat more rural area. Thanks to the great biodiversity there compared to the big city, I have succeeded there to make many beautiful shots of various birds and a squirrel. I have summarized some recordings in this video. Enjoy!