April is prime time for hedgehog activities; finally, they have come back to life from months of hibernation and wintering. Wouldn’t it be good news for hedgehog lovers and wildlife photographers? But hedgehogs have never been an easy target to capture on film. Like other nocturnal mammals like badgers, hedgehogs are most active at night when people are not around. They will travel long distances throughout the night searching for food and mates, and if you’re lucky enough, sometimes they may wander into your gardens. Isn’t it a good chance to catch a glimpse of these nighttime creatures? Their mating season normally begins in early spring and stretches to autumn (from April to September), but female hedgehogs usually give birth during June and July. Sometimes, they may keep on producing a second litter in late summer (until October). It’s great fun observing how hedgehogs forage and rear their young.
Record Hedgehogs at Night with a Wildlife Camera
But there’s something you should bear in mind when filming hedgehogs: they literally have no guts! They get startled very easily, to the point where a simple shadow can scare the hell out of them, so the most important thing is to keep still and quiet——you must mind your steps and get into stealth mode when searching for traces of these little fellas. Some wildlife-watching endeavors would use a DSLR camera to capture hedgehogs. Although the DSLR camera offers higher image resolution and additional editing features, streaming is generally not possible for it’s not designed for extended use like live streams or broadcasts. And most importantly, DSLR cameras need to use such adapters as AstroScope modules to transform into nighttime shooting, which also comes with a rise in investment. The easiest way to record these lovely nightcrawlers is to use a wildlife camera. It offers you a relatively simple and budget-friendly way to capture not just hedgehogs, but all sorts of wildlife in your garden. But there are literally hundreds of different models available, the question is “which is the best wildlife camera for hedgehogs?”
We have launched various types of cameras for both bird watching and wildlife observation. As you’ll be recording hedgehogs mostly in the darkness, all recommended wildlife cameras are equipped with invisible infrared LEDs that will not startle the animals at night.
Our Top Picks for Best Wildlife Cameras
• Best WiFi Camera for Wildlife Monitoring: Waterproof Bird Box Camera
• Best Camera with Wired Connection: Outdoor PoE Wired IP Bird Box Camera
• Best Camera for TV Viewing: Multi-purpose Outdoor TV Camera with HDMI Box
• Best Camera with WiFi Connection: Long Range Wireless Versatile IP Camera
• Best Motion-Activated Camera: Wildlife Trail Camera
Waterproof Bird Box Camera
Specifications:
Resolution: 3MP Ultra HD
Night Vision: Yes
Type of Connection: Wireless
Watching Devices: Smartphone, Tablet & PC
Storage: SD Card Storage
Originally designed for bird watching, this waterproof bird box camera can be repurposed for wildlife observation as well. Featuring IP ratings of IP66, it can work reliably in any outdoor environment. It comes in a compact size, designed to work with standard-sized nest boxes. The most obvious advantage of using a WiFi camera is that it supports smooth live streaming via the Internet with a wireless network connection to allow you to watch real-time footage on your smartphone, tablet and PC without additional network cabling. But image degradation may be possible during bandwidth fluctuation.
The waterproof bird box camera can produce 3MP high-definition images by day with vivid color reproduction. Backed up with a highly sensitive auto ICR switch, the night vision LEDs can be manually and automatically turned on when the night falls to generate crisp B&W videos of the hedgehogs. It has a 2.5mm wide-angle lens with an adjustable focus to offer a wider field of view (120°) and capture higher levels of detail inside the hedgehog house. Push message notification is also available at every trigger event once the motion sensor detects any changes inside the nest box. This model also supports local storage with an SD card to allow you to playback the footage whenever you want.
Outdoor PoE Wired IP Bird Box Camera
Specifications:
Resolution: 5MP Ultra HD
Viewing Angle: 120°
Illuminators: Invisible Infrared LEDs
Watching Devices: Smartphone, Tablet & PC
Storage: Manual Recording to iCSee App or Third-party Decoder
Supported by PoE technology, the outdoor PoE wired IP bird box camera relies on a single Ethernet cable for data and power transmission, which highly reduces the installation costs. Once configured through the iCSee app, it can broadcast live videos on smartphones, tablets and PCs. It features a more reliable network connection regardless of bandwidth fluctuations. Protected in an IP66 waterproof rugged enclosure, it’s manufactured to work in a wide range of environments without the risk of water ingress.
This outdoor PoE wired IP bird box camera features industry-leading video clarity and color reproduction with an invisible night vision function to secure round-the-clock live streaming to your watching devices. High-resolution images (5MP) are guaranteed along with true-to-life audio. When all the natural light fades out, the outdoor PoE wired IP bird box camera will auto-switch to infrared LEDs for nighttime filming. Message notification is available at every trigger event so you won’t miss out on any exciting moments. Although this outdoor PoE wired IP bird box camera doesn’t support SD card storage, you can manually record the video to the app or use third-party software for local storage.
Multi-purpose Outdoor TV Camera with HDMI Box
Specifications:
Resolution: 700TVL
Illuminators: Invisible Infrared LEDs
Type of Connection: Wired
Watching Devices: TV and HDMI Monitors
Storage: Hard Drive Disk or DVR
This multi-purpose outdoor TV camera is super user-friendly, featuring a simple plug-and-see installation. NO software configuration is involved, which gives you great relief if you have a difficult time dealing with electronics. Issues like network congestion can be avoided to a great extent. It can directly stream the live videos to your TV or other HDMI monitors with an HDMI box, which supports both audio and video streams from the source camera. This multi-purpose outdoor TV camera is also relatively cheaper than other models, but it’s no less competent in functionalities.
You can watch stunning live videos in 700 TVL from the comfort of your sofa after a simple plug-and-play installation. It has a 3.6 mm wide-angle lens to display a wider field of view of 84° with a manually adjustable focus to capture more detail. Its IP66-rated watertight casing also gives you great flexibility on where to place the camera. Equipped with invisible infrared LEDs, the multi-purpose TV camera automatically switches to night vision mode in low-light conditions to secure 24/7 monitoring. A highly sensitive microphone is incorporated for audio recording. Plus, no additional speaker is demanded for audio output.
Long Range Wireless Versatile IP Camera
Specifications:
Resolution: 3MP Ultra HD
Waterproof: IP66-rated
Wireless Transmission Range: 300 Meters
Dual-Band Router or Mesh Network: Supported
Power Options: DC12V, Batteries or Solar Power
This long range wireless versatile IP camera is backed up with Xtreme WiFi technology to support wireless data transmission up to 300 meters in a direct line of sight to allow you to position the camera at any desired places (local parks, forests, natural habits, etc.). The improved network performance fosters smooth live streaming and sharing over the Internet without severe signal degradation. It supports various power options, allowing you to install the camera in any place even if there is no existing electrical infrastructure.
The long-range bird box camera employs a 2.5mm wide-angle, adjustable lens that gives you the best possible perspective inside the nest box while maintaining high-quality color images and clear audio. The invisible infrared LEDs help to deliver crisp infrared images at night without giving off glaring red lights. Real-time videos can be accessed anytime and anywhere with a WiFi connection with the iCSee app installed on your watching devices. Motion detection is available with instant message notifications at every trigger event. This model can work with dual-band routers and mesh networks (2.4Ghz) with no problems. Account sharing also makes it easier to share interesting live feeds with family and friends.
Wildlife Trail Camera
Specifications:
Resolution: Photo-16MP; Video-720P@60FPS
Shooting Mode: Hybrid (Photo+Video; Time Lapse)
Trigger Speed: 0.2 seconds
Motion Detection: Available
Storage: SD storage up to 256GB
A wildlife trail camera is also a robust tool for filming hedgehogs because it’s highly portable and easy to manage. This waterproof wildlife trail camera is a motion-activated camera that comes with different capture modes (photo/video/hybrid/time-lapse). Combined with a fully integrated PIR sensing system, it captures pin-sharp snapshots at 16 megapixels and records full HD videos with a resolution of 720P@60FPS at a trigger speed of 0.2 seconds. This trail camera can be programmed to take pictures at predefined intervals and generates videos automatically, ideal for recording how hedgehogs raise the young. The no-glow infrared LEDs (IR flash range: 25m/82ft) ensure 24/7 shooting without startling the animals. This trail camera supports SD storage (256GB) and its wire-free connectivity offers great versatility for application in any imaginable environment. It has an extremely long in-field battery life (up to 1 year with 8*AA batteries in standby mode). It comes with different mounting options (mounted on a tripod or fastened with a strap) which gives you great flexibility on placement.
How to Install the Wildlife Camera for Filming Hedgehogs?
When installing your wildlife cameras, you need to figure out where the hedgehogs gain the entrances to your garden and face the camera toward it. Setting up a bait (provide water and food) and installing your camera nearby is also a smart move to capture the hedgehogs and get some excellent images. When setting up wildlife cameras for filming hedgehogs, you should position the camera at a low angle to get the best footage considering the hedgehogs are crawling on the ground most time. If you’re using a trail camera, set it to the highest sensitivity but move it away from tree branches, foliage and other garden items since these objects could also trigger the sensors when blown by the wind. Protect the trail camera with a lockbox if possible, especially if you have lots of animal traffic in your garden.
