Unapproved Approach to Nesting Birds: Both Illegal and Immoral
Although watching nesting birds is an intriguing activity, it is always challenging to approach them without jeopardizing the serenity of their lives. A hasty approach not only poses great threats to their breeding success but also threatens the safety of nestlings altogether. Considering birds are sensitive creatures, external stressors like flashlights and frequent visits will drastically increase the chances of premature fledglings and abandoned nestlings. Possibilities are surging that the mother/adult bird will abandon the nestlings when they detect there is human lurking around. And in such cases, the survival rates of juvenile birds are normally quite low.
In fact, any unapproved intervention of breeding nests will be regarded as a violation of federal law. It has been well documented in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 that any intentional disturbance of nesting birds at any time, by any means or in any manner is legally prohibited and severely condemned. And it is officially written in the Fish and Wildlife Code that any actions that involve bird harassment, slaughter, and destruction of breeding nests will get severely punished and condemned.
Use Bird Box Camera for Remote Observation
Thus, to avoid a violation, it’s best to step aside and rely more on remote observation to watch nesting birds. The bird box camera is a robust tool o take a close look at those feathered creatures without over-interference. In today’s blog, we’re gonna illustrate three types of bird box cameras available in the market.
Analog Bird Box Camera
The analog bird box camera is one of the previous wildlife cameras used in bird boxes. It records the images and then send the signal through a coaxial cable to a digital video recorder (DVR), which converts the analog signal to the digital signal, compresses the file and stores it on a hard drive disk, provided that the analog camera cannot process the video footage in the camera. Monitors need to be hooked up to the DVR to view the footage. The camera can also be viewed on TV as long as your TV has an RCA input. But if it doesn’t, you’ll need an RCA-to-HDMI converter for signal conversion. The analog bird box camera usually carries a charge-coupled device (CCD) lens, a high-resolution lens well-known to deliver high-definition images even in low-light conditions.
Pros
1. Affordability——The most obvious reason to stick with the analog bird box camera is its price tag. Analog cameras cost less than their digital counterparts on a per camera basis for they are always kept at a reasonable price range to meet the need of the average population. In comparison with the IP bird box camera, there is no doubt that it’s more cost-effective and durable in long-term use for no technical maintenance or supporting equipment is needed.
2.Simplicity——Thanks to its wired connectivity, the installation of the analog bird box camera is relatively easier for any social group, featuring a simple plug-and-play cable connection. The recorded videos can be compressed and transmitted to the DVR through coaxial cables so that issues like large file size and network congestion can be avoided to a great extent. The DVR is quite simple to set up and understand for most. The installation is quite straightforward as well.
3.Lower bandwidth requirement——The video transmission in the analog camera is normally carried on offline. The videos are transmitted to the DVR over a coaxial cable instead of LAN, so transmitting them doesn’t take much bandwidth. Plus, the DVR also only transmits the footage and uses bandwidth when someone is viewing the video, rather than on a more constant basis.
Cons
1.Cabling——Like any other wired bird box camera, the analog camera must be connected to a DVR through coaxial cables for processing, compression and storage. The wires could easily get tangled since most analog cameras need separate cables for video and audio outputs. The wiring also dramatically limits its application in various fields. Such type of cameras only operate when connected to the DVR, so it could be only be placed at a reasonable distance, or the reliability of the connection will be undermined.
2.Image Quality——Typically, the analog bird box camera has a narrower field of view than its IP counterpart. Since the frame rate of the analog camera is lower than that of IP, so it’s not ideal for areas that have a lot of motion or that need to be seen in high detail. Worse still, the image quality will be compromised in close-up shots. If you try to zoom in on something, you’ll likely get an image that is even more blurry and grainy.
IP Bird Box Camera
IP (Internet Protocol) bird box camera records videos in digital format so there is no need for a conversion process. The video and audio signals are transmitted through the existing network to a dedicated network video recorder (NVR) or a router, which can be accessed remotely. Every IP camera has its own IP address, so once connected to the Internet, it will be able to transfer the footage. The IP bird box camera can be further divided into PoE wired and WiFi cameras.
The PoE wired bird box camera transmits the data and receives the power through the same Ethernet cable, working together with a PoE injector and a router. It normally works with an NVR (networked video recorder) or SD card for storage. The biggest advantage lies in its reliability because its image quality won’t be compromised by bandwidth fluctuations. The WiFi bird box camera transmits video and audio signals wirelessly over the internet or other wireless network to a receiver or a router that connects to your viewing and recording device. With this wireless bird box camera, you can watch live or recorded videos on your smartphone, tablet and PC. The most obvious benefit is its flexibility, which allows you to place the camera basically anywhere without having to deal with the wires.
Pros
1.Better Image Quality——The image quality is significantly higher from the IP camera than the analog one, which can deliver high-resolution images of up to 3 megapixels (6x higher than its counterpart). A large number of IP cameras use complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) lenses to deliver high-resolution images with lower cost, better quality and higher temperature resistance (working temperature: -155°C to 125°C). And the IP bird box camera is more likely to have zoom features to zoom in on an object without reducing its image clarity.
2.Fewer Cabling——The PoE wired IP bird box camera only uses a single Ethernet cable for both power and data transmission, eliminating additional network cabling. No signal conversion equipment is required, thus reducing extra cabling. And the WiFi bird box camera even broadcasts the signals over the wireless network without any network cabling. All you need is a power cord to power up the camera. Unlike the analog camera which needs an additional cable for audio output, the IP bird box camera can transmit both audio and video signals through the same channel.
3.User-friendly, Smart Features——One of the biggest advantages of the IP cameras is that it allows you to watch live or recorded videos on your smartphone, tablet and PC wherever you are. You can also share interesting live feeds with your families and friends via a free app. By downloading the app on your smartphone, you can receive timely message notifications when the detector senses any changes inside the birdhouse to ensure you will never miss a moment. The IP bird box camera also features a wider field of view to capture more details in the frame.
Cons
1.High Initial Investment——The IP bird box camera is absolutely more expensive than the analog cameras since it supports multiple features that are unavailable in the traditional, old-fashioned CCTV camera. An analog bird box camera is only retailed for $50-80, while an IP camera will cost you over $100. And IP cameras require more maintenance in long-term use as well. Supporting devices like PoE injectors, routers are needed in the installment.
2.Higher Bandwidth and Larger Storage——The IP bird box camera mainly relies on the network for data transmission. It normally requires higher bandwidth to ensure smooth live streaming, video loading and to run the whole system, while limited bandwidth will cause network congestion and buffering. Compared with the analog camera, the IP camera delivers images and videos of higher resolution and therefore generates larger files which will take up more space.
Related Product：IP Bird Box Camera
Applicable to any custom birdhouses or nesting boxes, this IP bird box camera offers the most satisfactory bird watching experience with high-resolution videos (1080p) and delivers true-to-life bird sounds with its built-in microphone. It is equipped with adjustable wide-angle lenses to ensure a wider field of view (102°). Invisible night vision with no-glow infrared LEDs secures 24/7 continuous recording, offering a maximum night vision range of 1 m. PoE technology offers better network reliability to secure better live streaming and saves complicated cabling installation. Once configured via an app, you can watch live or recorded videos remotely on your mobile devices and program the camera to automatically activate through motion detection and scheduling. Motion detection with timely message alerts ensures you will never miss a moment. Since this camera is not waterproof, extra protection is needed to prevent water ingress. Lately, Green Backyard has launched a new series of outdoor bird box/feeder camera up for selection. If you’re interested, go check them!
As its name implies, an HDMI bird box camera is an AHD (analog high definition) camera that can be viewed on TV or other HDMI-compatible monitors, while HDMI stands for high definition multimedia interface, an audio/video interface to transmit compressed or uncompressed digital data from an HDMI-compliant source device to a compatible HDMI monitor like TV or video player. In fact, the HDMI bird box camera is the upgraded version of the analog bird box camera with less cabling but better quality. It sends the HD signal over a standard coax or RCA cable to deliver a crisper and sharper image.
The HDMI bird box camera can be connected directly to the TV using the cable, but it will reduce its definition when it streams the live video straight to the TV without a converter or decoder, so it usually works with an HDMI box to allow you to connect the camera to your TV via an HDMI connection. But if you want to watch true 1080p HD images straight from your TV, then use an HDMI converter instead to display images on your TV in full HD after a simple plug-and-play installation. Additionally, if you want to run multiple HDMI bird box cameras at a time, there is a low-cost way to help you watch and record 4-32 cameras by using a DVR (32-ch) or our HDMI converter (4 cameras max). Most HDMI converters in the market don’t carry audio at all, while our converter can support audio in one channel.
Pros
1.Easy setup——No professional installation is needed for data transmission from the source camera to the TV or HDMI monitor. NO software configuration is required. Just use a 3-in-one (power/audio/video) cable to connect the HDMI bird box camera and the HDMI converter; connect one end of the HDMI cable to the HDMI input on the TV (normally every TV has two channels HDMI 1/2) and connect the other end to the converter; select the chosen channel on TV and watch the live video.
2.Higher Resolution——The HDMI bird box camera can deliver images in higher resolution than those in the analog camera, in which the videos have to be compressed in the DVR, while the HDMI signals will not be compressed during transmission, and thereby the image quality will nor be degraded. And with the help of the HDMI converter, you can also watch live feeds on your TV all in incredible 1080p HD.
Cons
1.High Bandwidth Requirement——The HDMI camera delivers high-resolution images and has a speed of 18Gbps for data transfer. HDMI 2.0 has a speed of 18Gbps for data transfer, which has outpaced the coaxial cable whose data transfer rate is merely 0.1Gbps. It can be connected to any latest digital device with HDMI ports and minimize distortion and interference. To secure its operation, wider bandwidth is needed.
2.Distance Limitation——The HDMI bird box camera has the common issue in all wired cameras, that is the distance. Normally, the HDMI cable is quite short (about 10 meters for Cat2), but when the cable length is beyond 6-7 meters, the image quality will be compromised. To tackle this problem, we have developed a 3MP wireless TV bird box camera that can support the wireless transmission of up to 300 meters from the camera to the receiver, which makes it ideal for long-range deployments.
Related Product: TV Bird Box Camera with HDMI Converter
This compact TV bird box camera can easily fit in any standard-sized birdhouse. The camera has an adjustable wide-angle lens that offers a 120° field of view along with invisible night vision using no-glow infrared LEDs for 24/7 continuous recording. A highly sensitive microphone is also incorporated for audio recording. Its user-friendly installment makes it extremely accessible to senior users. With our HDMI converter (4 camera max. & audio in one channel), you can watch 1080p color/infrared images on TV or other HDMI/VGA-compatible monitors. A simple plug-and-see design with a 3-in-one cable reduces cabling and offers high reliability for video streaming.
The bird box camera is a perfect solution to approach nesting birds without disturbing them. It offers bird lovers a great opportunity to investigate the world of birds and uncover the hidden mysteries in nesting and breeding. We hope the three types of bird box cameras mentioned above will help you to find a suitable camera system for bird watching. See more on Green Backyard to create a bird-friendly backyard.
