Eight products, and most people only need one. Here is how they differ.
The cameras
Hummingbird Feeder with Camera \u2014 $119
Buy this if: hummingbirds are the reason you are here.
The macro lens is focused for the few inches a hummingbird actually hovers at. A standard feeder camera cannot focus that close, which is why general feeders produce a green blur where the bird should be. It also has an ant moat, which matters more than people expect with sugar water.
Season: spring through early autumn in most regions, year-round in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest.
Smart Bird Feeder with Camera, 1080p \u2014 $149
Buy this if: you want to see whatever turns up, and you want the sensible option.
This is the one most people should buy. Hopper design, which is what cardinals, jays and grosbeaks need \u2014 they perch and stand square rather than clinging. 1080p is plenty on a phone screen.
Season: busiest October through February, useful year-round.
Smart Bird Feeder with Camera, 4K \u2014 $249
Buy this if: you want to crop into a photo and still have detail, or you plan to share images.
Same feeder design as the 1080p, better camera. The honest position is that the extra $100 buys you resolution, not more birds. If you are unsure, buy the 1080p.
Smart Bird House with Camera \u2014 $199
Buy this if: you want to watch a nesting family rather than a stream of visitors.
Completely different experience from a feeder. One pair, one season, start to finish. Solar roof means you never open the box to charge it, which matters because opening a box during nesting risks the pair abandoning it.
Season: mount late winter. A box put up in April has usually missed the decision.
The accessories
Squirrel Proof Feeder Pole \u2014 $69
Buy this if: your garden has fences, sheds or branches near where the feeder would go.
Be honest with yourself here. If you have a clear spot with ten feet of open space in every direction, you may not need it. If everything is close to something a squirrel could jump from, you do.
Solar Panel and Battery Kit \u2014 $129
Buy this if: the best spot for your feeder is shaded.
Birds feel safest near cover, which is usually the shadiest part of the garden and the worst place for a built-in solar panel. The 10ft cable resolves that conflict. If your spot gets several hours of direct sun, skip it.
Wild Bird Food Bundle \u2014 $109
Buy this if: you have a hummingbird feeder, or you want to feed suet through winter.
Dye-free nectar concentrate and no-melt suet. A year's worth. Not needed for seed feeders \u2014 buy black oil sunflower locally, it is heavy and not worth shipping.
The bundle
Complete Backyard Bundle \u2014 $299
The 4K feeder and the pole together, $19 less than buying them separately. Worth it if you were going to buy both anyway. Not worth it if you already have a good open mounting spot.
Common combinations
Starting from nothing, one purchase: the 1080p feeder at $149.
Starting from nothing, difficult garden: the bundle at $299.
Hummingbirds: the hummingbird camera at $119 plus the food bundle at $109.
Already feed birds, want to see more: the 1080p feeder, and the nest box in late winter.
Buying a gift: the hummingbird camera or the nest box. Both are memorable and neither requires the recipient to already be equipped.
What none of them do
None of our cameras will show you hummingbirds unless it is the hummingbird feeder. None will show you woodpeckers unless you also put out suet. And no feeder brings birds instantly \u2014 allow two to three weeks before they treat it as reliable.
All of them need a smartphone and a 2.4GHz WiFi network. If the person using it does not have both, none of these are the right product.
What they all share
Automatic species identification, unlimited viewing, alerts and your own saved clips \u2014 included for the life of the product, with no membership tier of any kind.
Free shipping, 30-day returns, one-year warranty, and a phone number answered by a person: +1 929 604 7180.