As the end of the year is drawing near and the winter is full in swing, garden birds are also struggling to find food to survive. Installing a bird feeder will not only give these fragile creatures (especially those who don’t migrate) enough fuel to see the winter out but also give you lots of pleasure in observing various birds that frequent it. Photographing birds at the feeder is a golden opportunity to get close to your guests. But be careful with your telescope-like long-focus lens. You bear a good chance of scaring them away with this jumbo.
Is there a better and easier way to photograph birds without spooking them? In this blog post, we’re gonna introduce four types of mini bird feeder cameras from Green Backyard to help you achieve a successful bird feeder watching experience. First thing first. We’ve to figure out why bird feeder cameras outperform the conventional DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras in bird photography.
Bird Feeder Camera vs. DSLR Camera
Frankly speaking, DSLR cameras do offer a number of useful features to both professional and amateur bird photographers, many of which are not achievable with a normal bird feeder camera. They come with both digital and optical zoom features and multiple shooting modes. The number of pixels has now dramatically increased and now more models can offer more than 20MP (more cropping with less image degradation) even though 3MP is quite enough for non-professional needs. With interchangeable lenses, you may have unlimited possibilities to improve your image quality. And they also come with additional editing and customization features. But such cameras are inherently more expensive (at least 5 times the price of a bird feeder camera) and you have to pay extra for elementary accessories. The DSLR cameras are generally larger and heavier, which may bring them to notice in the filming spot. The closer you get, the higher the chance the bird disappears. Streaming via these cameras is generally not recommended because they are not designed for extended use as video cameras or live streams and broadcasts. Live streaming can be possible but you must go through a series of complicated software configurations.
Though most bird feeder cameras, due to technical difficulties, can only support 5MP to the maximum, it’s still plenty for bird photography. They are capable of taking stunning videos with excellent audio recording capability (built-in microphones), which is unavailable in their DSLR counterparts ( separate digital recorders are needed to capture audio when you shoot). Moreover, the bird feeder cameras also support direct live streaming from the source camera to the TV/HDMI-compatible monitors and other digital players such as smartphones and tablets via a free app after a simple plug-and-see cable/WiFi connection. Featuring a compact size, these cameras can be installed in the bird feeders or mounted on a freestanding pole to capture birds from all directions. They are compatible with various external power sources (mains power, motorcycle battery and solar power), which offers a greater sense of reliability in outdoor deployments. Despite the fact they don’t come with a changeable focal lens, they have remarkable night vision capability, using invisible infrared LEDs to capture high-resolution images at night and in low-light situations without spooking the birds, while the DSLR cameras need to use such adapters as AstroScope modules to transform into nighttime shooting.
Consequently, the bird feeder cameras are obviously a better option than the traditional DSLR cameras in bird photography. In the next part, we will introduce four types of bird feeder cameras launched by Green Backyard to help achieve a successful bird watching experience.
This IP bird feeder camera is a multi-functional camera not only for bird watching but for surveillance. Specially designed for outdoor shooting, this bird feeder camera is completely waterproof to protect the camera against water penetration. It could deliver high-definition live videos with exceptional quality (1080p full HD). A highly sensitive camera is also built in the camera to pick up every little sound around the bird feeder. This IP bird feeder camera supports both PoE wired and WiFi connection, which gives you various options in practical applications. Once configured through a free app, you can watch live or recorded videos on your smartphone or tablet. Instant notifications are available along with sensitive motion detection. Moreover, it supports local storage with a built-in SD card (64GB).
Well known for its longer outside casing (bullet shape), this IP bird feeder camera is endowed with a distinguished and noticeable presence so it can easily be mounted on a wall, ceiling or mounting bracket to serve as a security camera as well. It also shows great convenience on positioning, making it easy for the installer to reposition it when needed. This bullet-shaped bird feeder camera typically houses a larger lens with an adjustable focus, making it excellent for providing higher levels of detail at a greater distance and provide a wider viewing angle in a smaller area. It is equipped with infrared illuminators (invisible to both humans and animals) to guarantee 24/7 continuous recording at a maximum distance of 5 meters without spooking the birds. An auto ICR switch is pre-installed to allow the camera to automatically switch between daytime and nighttime shooting.
The mini WiFi bird feeder camera can produce high-quality color images in 3MP Ultra HD without image degradation even in close-up shooting, an excellent device for bird watching, wildlife observation, citizen science, nature research and YouTube live stream. Equipped with a built-in microphone, it delivers the most authentic, true-to-life bird sounds to its dedicated listeners. It has a 2.5mm wide-angle lens with adjustable focus to offer a wider field of view (120°) and capture higher levels of detail and more surrounding background. It features glow-free night vision using infrared LEDs to secure round-the-clock recording without emitting those glaring white flashes or red glows. Similarly, its night vision can be simultaneously switched on as the natural light fades out and it can also be programmed to work in specific periods. Its daytime LEDs (diffusion filters are included to adjust the brightness) can be manually turned on/off via the app to secure better image quality, especially in low-light conditions.
Specially designed for outdoor shooting, it is completely weatherproof and waterproof to survive all weather conditions. Featuring a compact size, this feeder camera can be installed in our specially-made bird feeder or fixed on a freestanding pole by a bird table. As a WiFi bird feeder camera, it broadcasts video and audio signals wirelessly over the network without running a network cable back to your house. You can customize your camera settings through the app and watch live shows of those feathered creatures feeding on the bird seeds on any digital devices like smartphones or tablets anytime, anywhere. Account sharing allows one or more authorized users to log in. Its metallic antenna also shows great resistance against bird biting with improved network performance to ensure smooth live streaming. This WiFi bird feeder camera is equipped with a sensitive motion detector to automatically start filming when triggered. And instant notifications will be sent when the motion detector senses any activities to ensure you’ll never miss out on any exciting moment. Moreover, it supports both SD card (not included) and PC software storage. And this mini WiFi bird feeder camera can work together with motorcycle batteries, giving you great flexibility on (re)positioning.
TV Bird Feeder Camera with HDMI Box
This TV bird feeder camera is exclusively designed for senior users or the tech-phobic since its biggest advantage mainly lies in its simplicity. Working together with an HDMI box, a media converter that converts the analog signals to digital ones, it allows you to connect the AHD camera to your TV via an HDMI connection. The TV bird feeder camera gives you the possibility to watch garden birds on a larger screen (TV or HDMI monitors) after a simple plug-and-play installation. Give you easier access to backyard birding from the comfort of your living room. NO software configuration is involved, which gives you a relief if you’re having a difficult time with electronics. The TV bird feeder camera requires lower bandwidth because its video transmission is generally offline. The DVR also only uses bandwidth when someone is viewing the video, rather than on a more constant basis. And its wired connection also guarantees higher reliability for its immunity to bandwidth fluctuation. Issues like large file size and network congestion can be avoided to a greater extent.
Another benefit of the TV bird feeder camera is its price tag. It is less expensive than its IP counterpart and always kept at a reasonable price to meet the needs of the average population. But it doesn’t inherently mean it’s less competent in functionality. You can watch stunning live feeds on your TV in 700 TVL with the HDMI box after a simple installation. Completely waterproof with great flexibility on installation, this tiny camera can be mounted on the bird feeder or attached to a pole to give you a closer look at these lovely birds as they are gobbling the bird seeds. It has a 2.5 mm wide-angle lens to display a wider field of view of 120° with a manually adjustable focus to capture more vivid details. This camera delivers color images in high resolution by day and crisp black and white images by night to guarantee 24/7 ongoing bird watching. A highly sensitive microphone is pre-designed in this TV bird feeder camera for audio recording. A minor downfall of this feeder camera is that it doesn’t support onboard SD card storage, but you can record the videos on the DVR as well (32-ch, sold separately in the Green Backyard).
Long Range Wireless IP Bird Feeder Camera
The long-range wireless IP bird feeder camera is an ideal solution for experienced/beginner birdwatchers and nature lovers, giving you a better chance to watch different bird species outside the backyard. An ordinary wireless bird feeder camera can easily be compromised by bandwidth fluctuation and signal degradation as the distance increases. Some signals will go up in the air while others may bounce off the wall, vegetation or other obstructions, resulting in poor videos. Thanks to the Xtreme WiFi technology, this long-range bird feeder camera shows excellent wall penetrating capability to foster smooth live streaming without severe attenuation. It supports wireless transmission of up to 800 meters between the camera (built-in transmitter) and the receiver (PoE-enabled) in the direct line of sight, which comes with an increased amount of flexibility and versatility on positioning. The metallic antenna also plays a fundamental role in improving the network performance with enhanced WiFi signals. With the long-range wireless IP bird feeder camera, you can place your bird feeder at any desired places (natural habitats, forests, parks, etc.) as long as it’s within the transmission range. A truly state-of-the-art long-distance camera that meets the highest quality standards with a simple setup. Following our installation guide to set up your own bird watching system!
Additionally, this long-range bird feeder camera gives you many options on power solutions for outdoor deployments. The camera itself can receive mains power by running a power cord from the nearest AC outlet or work together with a motorcycle battery or a solar panel if there is no existing electrical infrastructure nearby to realize wire-free setups. The receiver can also be powered by the mains power through a DC12V waterproof power adapter or PoE (Power over Ethernet) using a PoE injector and an Ethernet cable for both power and network connection. The bird feeder camera employs a 2.5mm wide-angle CMOS lens with an adjustable focus to give you the best possible perspective (a viewing angle of 120°) around the bird feeder while maintaining high-quality color images without any distortion or image degradation. Invisible night vision with no-glow infrared LEDs guarantees 24/7 ongoing shooting. You can watch fully-detailed 3MP HD live video and hear true-to-life bird sounds on your smartphone, tablet or PC via the app. Motion detection with instant message alerts is available at every trigger event. Account sharing also makes it easier to share interesting live feeds with family and friends.
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