We’ve been raving about the Birdfy—our top bird feeder camera—for a few years now, and love how it gives you a front row seat to every bird who stops by for a snack. It’s adorable, but have you seen footage from a bird bath yet?
I’ve been testing Birdfy’s bird bath camera for a month now, recording every adorable splash. Read on for my full review, which includes:
- How to set it up
- Helpful app settings
- And of course, some fantastic bird videos
Pros
- Easy to set up and use
- Unlimited guest accounts
- Affordable subscriptions, but not required
Cons
- AI identification only available with a subscription
The Cute Bird Content
Before I get into the details, let’s start with the reason we’re all here—bird-watching! You can watch a live feed on your phone, and the camera takes video, zoomed-in video, and photos that appear within minutes in the app. I’ve had the best time learning about which birds visit my yard (mostly cardinals, sparrows, finches, robins, gray catbirds, and grackles) and I get so excited when a new one shows up. Here’s a female cardinal stopping by for a dip (turn the sound on for precious feather-ruffling).
Here are snapshots of some more visitors, including a thirsty squirrel.
It’s easy to share videos or photos from the app, but (even better) Birdfy offers an unlimited number of guest accounts. Several friends and family members have downloaded the app so they can check in on my bird bath any time they like! Here’s how to get started.
Membership
A membership plan is included with every Birdfy bird bath purchase. There are two options.
- The AI by Subscription bird bath available on Amazon is the base model that you can use without an extra subscription. In addition to videos and photos, you’ll get 5GB of storage in the app and content saved in the cloud for 30 days. For the first 7 days, AI identification is free. After that, subscribing to the AI tool starts at $7 a month and also gets you more storage. Subscribing is optional, and I believe that you can enjoy the bird bath without the bird-identifying AI.
- At Birdfy.com you can get the AI Lifetime version with always-on AI identification of more than 6,000 bird species as well as other animals like dogs, squirrels, and raccoons. This is what I have. If you buy the base model, you can always upgrade to this plan for a one-time cost of $70.
- For either plan, you can upgrade it further to support more than one Birdfy device, get more storage, and take longer videos. Pricing is in the app.
Setting It Up
Once you download the app, pairing the bird bath with your phone is as easy as scanning a QR code on the base of the camera. You’ll also need to log in to your router and set up a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi channel, which is ideal for outdoor smart devices since it can penetrate walls.
Full disclosure: I hit a big snag at first. My camera connected to my phone, but at some point it went offline and I couldn’t get it reconnected. I opened a customer service chat through the app, and they spent a full hour with me, but nothing was working. Birdfy immediately shipped a new camera, and it connected perfectly. Customer service: A+.
The Bird Bath
Although the camera is solar-powered, it’s a good idea to charge it completely (a USB cord is included) before setting it up. That said, it has been a month, and thanks to the solar panel, I haven’t had to recharge my camera once.
It comes with two fountain heads that are activated when sunlight hits the solar panel. You can also use it without them. I prefer the small yellow one because it doesn’t splash as much and blur the camera, but the birds seem to enjoy playing in the tall spray on hot days, so I switch them out periodically.
Find a sunny spot for the solar tech, which runs the fountain and charges the camera. However, I recommend facing the camera away from the direct sun so your photos and videos don’t have glare. You can buy the bird bath with a stand if you need one, but it’ll be fine anywhere sturdy. I put mine on a metal patio side table and have had no issues with it tipping over.
Maintenance
Dirt, debris, and algae will be an issue, but cleanup is easy. Every other day, I dump out the old water and blast the bird bath with the garden hose, wiping it out at least once a week. There’s also a small filter that can be washed or replaced. Make sure you dry the camera every time to prevent blurriness.
Keep in Mind
I’m still figuring a few things out. The camera takes video at night, but so far I haven’t seen any creatures in my feed. I suspect that they’re scared away when the light clicks on. I also had to lower its sensitivity setting because the dog, my husband mowing the lawn, and rainfall were all getting recorded. If your bird bath will be in a busy yard, I recommend changing this setting to one that works for you.
Is the Birdfy Bird Bath Camera Worth It?
My goodness, look at these cute birds. Of course, I have to say yes. Birds are so fun to watch, and they’ve made me and my family smile for weeks now. I definitely like the AI feature, but you can absolutely use the bird bath with zero subscription if the price feels too high. Then again, it often goes on sale at Amazon and Birdfy.com, offsetting some of the cost of a subscription. Overall, it has been a joy.
And if you’re not yet convinced, check out this rare, five-bird party of male and female house finches (plus one Carolina wren) having an early morning drink.
