Hello, birders and wildlife lovers. I got good news for you: the breeding season is coming! Are you ready to embark on the fantastic adventure of bird watching this year? Watching nesting birds is one of the most joyful things to do this spring. To allow you have a closer look at these adorable creatures, we have launched various types of bird box cameras to allow you to capture high-resolution videos or images of nesting birds that are inaccessible with naked eyes or binoculars. But the question faced by most people is: how can I choose a bird box camera? In this blog, we will help you find your answer.
What is a Bird Box Camera?
A bird box camera is a wired or wireless video recording device that can be installed in the birdhouse or other wildlife habitats to allow you to watch nesting birds or other wildlife creatures remotely on smartphones, tablets, PCs and even on TV from the comfort of your living room. What’s more, it is a fantastic way to watch nesting birds without disturbing them and jeopardizing their breeding success. Bird box cameras come in various shapes and features, so you can pick one according to your own needs.
Which Type of Camera to Choose
Since there are multiple choices out there in the market, the following aspects should be taken into thorough consideration when choosing a bird box camera.
Budget
First thing first, always choose one within the budget as well as at a reasonable price. You can roughly browse the shopping websites and set an ideal budget so as not to overpay something that isn’t even compatible with the price. Keep in mind that although there are exceptions where low-priced units outperform the expensive ones, expectations should still be managed accordingly when you purchase some fairly inexpensive units.
Wired or Wireless?
The bird box camera can be roughly classified into wired and wireless cameras according to how it communicates and transmits the data, not how a camera is powered, for every camera (wired or wireless) needs a power supply whether it’s from the mains or from the batteries.
Wired Bird Box Camera
A wired bird box camera transfers the video through cables. Green Backyard has launched 2 types of wired bird box cameras: TV bird box camera and IP bird box camera. The TV bird box camera normally works with an HDMI box or converter to stream the video to your TV, while the IP bird box camera can receive both power and data through the same network cable and allow you to watch live feeds on smartphones or PCs.
The biggest advantage of the wired bird box camera mainly is its reliability. It shows great resilience to signal degradation, interference, and its image quality won’t be compromised by bandwidth fluctuations. But every camera has its own limitations and frustrations. Compared with a wireless camera, its setup costs are usually higher. Professional installation might be required if you need to run the cable through the wall or ceiling. Its application will be highly limited in long-range deployments.
Wireless Bird Box Camera
The wireless/WiFi bird box camera transmits the video and audio footage over the airwaves. But the wireless camera is not actually ‘wireless’ like a wire-free camera which is powered by batteries, a power cable is still needed for a power supply. The wireless bird box camera stores the data on an SD card or PC software to enable people to view live or recorded videos on their smartphones or tablets. Most WiFi bird box cameras come with smart features like motion detection, message notifications, and so on. But the wireless camera relies entirely on networks for data transmission, which makes it vulnerable to signal fluctuation. And it also has a higher bandwidth requirement. But after all, it’s a solid choice.
A Birdhouse with a Camera or a Bird Box Camera Kit?
Whether to get a birdhouse with a camera installed inside or just buy a bird box camera kit mainly depends on whether you have a birdhouse already. If you already have one set up in your backyard and you currently have no plan to set up one more birdhouse, then you’d better go with the camera kit. But, of course, you can enjoy a discounted price when purchasing a birdhouse with a bird box camera.
Top Products Recommended
1. Outdoor WiFi Bird Box Camera
This outdoor WiFi bird box camera is IP66-rated weatherproof, specially designed for outdoor applications. It’s ideal for spotting blue jays, chickadees, house sparrows, etc. It can produce high-quality color videos (3MP) by day and pitch B&W images at night to secure 24/7 continuous recording using daytime & infrared LEDs, which can be manually turned on/off via the app. A highly sensitive microphone is also incorporated into the camera to pick up every little sound in the bird box. This outdoor WiFi bird box camera features sensitive motion detection with timely message alerts at every trigger event.
2. Outdoor PoE Wired IP Bird Box Camera
This outdoor PoE IP bird box camera can generate high-resolution videos in 5MP. Once configured via the app, you can watch live or recorded videos remotely on your mobile devices. Invisible night vision secures 24/7 recording to deliver clear infrared images in low-light conditions, offering a maximum night vision range of 1 m. Real-time message alerts are available once the sensor detects any changes inside the box. You can also share your account with your families and trusted friends to allow more people to log in at the same time.
3. Long Range Wireless Outdoor IP Bird Box Camera
This long-range bird box camera adopts state-of-the-art technology to achieve wireless transmission of up to 800 meters to allow you to watch real-time/ recorded videos on your phone, tablet or PC. Its greatly improved network performance fosters smooth live streaming over the Internet without severe signal degradation of frame drop. Working together with motorcycle batteries, the long-range IP bird box camera can be installed in places where there is no existing electrical infrastructure, which gives you more flexibility in actual application.
4. TV Bird Box Camera with HDMI Converter
This TV bird box camera features a simple installation. Working collaboratively with our HDMI converter, you can watch live feeds on TV in true 1080p Featuring a compact size, it can easily fit in any standard-sized nest box. Like any other bird box camera, this TV bird box camera is also weatherproof. If you’re looking for more bargains, then take a look at our TV bird box camera kit, which includes everything you need to start backyard birding from the comfort of your living room!
Want to know more comparison details about different types of cameras? Go to our Camera Guide for help now.
