Marin Plank had no interest in birds when she gave her husband a camera-equipped, or smart, bird feeder for his birthday. But that changed. In fact, the American woman became so interested in watching birds that most of the gifts she received for Christmas last month were bird-related.
"This is who I am now," she said.
Friends sometimes stop Plank on the street to talk about the images of birds that she shares on social media. She also now orders bird food to be sent to her home in Lewes, Delaware.
It all started when she got her first message from the Bird Buddy app, which provides photos and videos that can be saved and shared.
When she saw the birds looking into the camera and the expressions on their faces, they won her heart, she said.
Bringing wildlife closer
Although the North American bird population continues to drop sharply, the number of people watching birds is increasing. In the past, bird watching was an outdoor activity. But now, smart feeders permit people to watch the wildlife from inside their homes.
Franci Zidar is founder and CEO of Bird Buddy, which has sold 350,000 smart bird feeders since 2022. He said that people with a strong interest in watching birds usually put much effort into finding them in the wild. “There are, however, 20 to 30 species of birds in most U.S. backyards that people either don't really know or appreciate."
Several other companies, including Birdfy, also make bird feeders that have cameras. Most people buy bird feeders because they want to help support the animals. Smart bird feeders help supply that support just as traditional feeders do. But, smart feeders go a step further, Zidar said, by letting people watch and enjoy the birds they feed.
Not just birds on camera
Bird Buddy has proven so successful that the company is creating other products to provide appealing environments for butterflies and other insects. Bird Buddy announced the new products at CES, the event formerly known as the Consumer Electronics show, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Judy Ashley of Ipswich, Massachusetts already had 11 bird feeders in her yard when she added a Bird Buddy last year. She recently captured a picture of a yellow-throated warbler at the feeder. The bird is a rarity in the northeastern United States.
She said, "What's amazing is how close you can see the details of backyard birds that you just wouldn't see if you just stood there for hours with binoculars."
Rachel Matthews in Austin, Texas, has three camera-equipped feeders, including one for hummingbirds. Matthews grew up with bird feeders, but the smart feeders have increased her interest, she said.
"I love having the camera, and I see detail that even with my binoculars I'd never seen," she said, noting the “red eyebrows and little feathers” on female cardinals.
In November, the National Audubon Society announced a partnership with Bird Buddy to educate the public about bird conservation. The partnership could provide a way to get data gathered by birdfeeders to scientists, an Audubon Society spokesperson said.
In Delaware, Plank has gotten to know the birds that visit her feeder a little better. "I give them these personalities in my mind, and it's about having them right in front of my face,” she said.
I’m Jill Robbins.
