I Gave My Dad This High-Tech Bird Feeder — The Photos Are Hilarious (and Nature Mag Worthy!)

Much like indoors, there are several items you can add to your yard to make it feel more personal to you — whether that’s a potting table, a play area for your pet, or a patio set — and I gave my dad a gift that did just that for Christmas a couple years ago. 

My dad and I both love watching the birds in my parents’ backyard. My parents live in northern Los Angeles County, where it’s hot and desertlike most of the year, so many of the plants reflect this, mostly consisting of succulents and other drought-resistant foliage. 

Their backyard also includes a few more sentimental varieties, including a hibiscus bush my dad planted in honor of my grandpa (his dad), who loved Hawaii and hummingbirds. Coincidentally, hummingbirds also love hibiscus flowers, and the blooms have attracted dozens of hummingbirds to his garden. Because my dad loves bird-watching so much, I bought him a Bird Buddy Smart Bird Feeder, and now, he can see his feathered friends even more up close and personal.

The Bird Buddy is a bird feeder with a built-in camera that allows you to catch a glimpse of the birds that stop at it — even while you’re away — and learn more about their species. It’s available as a traditional seed feeder, as well as a newer Hummingbird Feeder that wasn’t available when I gifted my dad one. 

(Although, note to self: I definitely need to buy him that one next, because we’re not seeing the hummingbirds on the feeder, mostly house finches and dark-eyed juncos!)

Both feeders connect to an app that alerts you when you have a visitor, similar to a Ring doorbell, and the app provides photos and videos, along with information on the species. The app also encourages you to share your smart bird feeder with other accounts so fellow backyard bird-watchers can get the same alerts and enjoy your yard’s birds. 

My dad’s bird feeder hangs off a large hook on a gazebo in his yard, and he fills it with a basic mix of bird seed that he buys from Lowe’s and refills once it gets empty. So far, he hasn’t had any issues with any other critters like squirrels and rats, likely due to its location in the backyard, which is elevated and a bit of an adventure for pests to get to. 

Since the feeder has built-in solar panels — and he lives in sunny Southern California — he rarely needs to manually charge it (and it’s worth noting that a manual charge can last up to one month). 

And speaking of the sunny, dry climate, most of the foliage doesn’t attract birds on its own, so the feeder adds a little more wildlife excitement to the yard.

Mostly, the smart feeder has served as a source of entertainment for my dad, and for starters, he’s tickled by the fact that his bird feeder is high-tech enough to have a camera on it. Of course, nothing beats watching the birds IRL, during the workweek, while he’s out of the house. He still has a way to enjoy his outdoor space by checking in to see who stopped by. 

It’s also been a source of entertainment for the whole family because it’s just so darn funny to send funny close-up bird selfies in the family group chat. 

Buy: Bird Buddy Smart Bird Feeder with Camera and Solar Roof: Weather-Resistant, Hanging or Pole Mount, $279.99