REVIEW – What kind of bird is that? Let’s see how well the isYoung Smart Bird Feeder can allow us to watch and identify birds from a distance.
What is it?
The isYoung Smart Bird Feeder is a bird feeder that has a built-in camera, wi-fi, battery, and storage. It is fully contained and IP65 rated, meaning it can withstand protection from water jets from any direction, but cannot be submerged, and is dust tight, with no ingress of dust.
What’s included?
- isYoung Smart Bird Feeder
- External antenna
- Nectar bowl (Honey feeder)
- Fruit ball (Suet feeder)
- Solar connection kit
- Mounting kit & hardware
- Manual
- USB-C power cable
Tech specs
Click to expand
- Model: G08
- Camera lens: 3.3mm f/2
- Viewing angle: Vertical 85º / Diagonal 168º / Horizontal 135º
- Video Compression Method: H.264
- Image Frame Rate: 15fps
- Image Resolution: 1920 x 1080P (MAX)
- Infrared night vision distance: 22.97ft
- Video bit rate: Adaptive
- Wi-Fi: 2.4G
- Storage: MicroSD and cloud based
- Battery capacity: 5000mAh
- Standby time: 1 year
- Charging time: 8~10 hours
- Waterproof level: IP65
- Working temperature: -10º~45º C
- App: VicoHome App (Apple Store & Google Play)
Design and features
My wife likes taking care of the hummingbirds that come to our yard. We have four hummingbird feeders. Right now is the busy season and we often have 10-15 hummingbirds buzzing around our yard. When the opportunity came up to review the isYoung Smart Feeder, it was a definite ‘YES’!
I was most curious about the AI bird recognition and the quality of the video and pictures. The other aspect that appealed to me was that the feeder is self-contained. It has a built-in camera, Wi-Fi, battery, and storage option. I didn’t have to worry about running extension cords or cables across my yard. The included solar kit does connect via USB-C (included), but it was pretty easy to find a place to get some sun.
Initially, I mounted the feeder on a pole in the front of our house where the sunlight is the longest. But I discovered that the built-in battery can last up to six months! So now I may mount it to our side fence, outside the kitchen window.
The video and picture quality is 1080, and it is fine for viewing on social media or our phones. Through the app, there is an option to download videos and pictures to your phone or tablet. There is a free plan that includes up to 3 days of rolling history saved in the cloud and motion recording up to 20 seconds.
At first, I couldn’t figure out why the AI bird recognition feature wasn’t working. I then realized that it’s a subscription-based feature. I signed up for the $4.99/month plan for a free 30-day trial. This also upgraded me up to 60 days of rolling history in the cloud, motion recording up to 3 minutes, motion alerts, person detection, package detection, and vehicle detection. Then the AI magic started happening – I received a notification on my phone that Black-eyed Junco was feeding! A red-headed house finch stopped by too. Not all the identifications were correct, but for the most part, it was pretty good. In those instances where a species could not be identified, a list of possible species would be provided.
To put the isYoung Smart Bird Feeder in perspective, I am using a Wyze Battery Cam Pro mounted to a shepherd’s hook, pointed to the main hummingbird feeder. The battery in the Wyze cam lasts about 6 months as well. The Wyze Cam is billed as having 2K resolution, but honestly, on my phone, I could not see the difference between the Wyze and the isYoung cameras. The biggest difference I noticed was that the isYoung camera focuses closer than the Wyze cam. If I had mounted the Wyze cam as close as the isYoung camera to the feeder, the images would be out of focus. This is where the isYoung camera excels. It is designed for really close focusing whereas other cameras tend to focus farther away.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
Assembly was easy and the directions were clear. There are just a few pieces that screw together but all the technical stuff is already in place. First screw in the antenna to the back, then snap on the roof. It’s hinged to allow for easy refills. The perch is snapped on and then reinforced with a thumb screw on the bottom. After tilting the built-in camera downward, there is a silicone plug that can be removed to insert the microSD card (not included) and to access the power button.
The isYoung Smart Bird Feeder also includes a mounting bracket. With this bracket, the feeder can be mounted on a pole or directly attached to a wall or fence. Note, that there is no included option to hang the feeder. I chose to mount it atop a broom handle, although I may choose to relocate it to be fence attached. Also included was a solar connection kit. It’s a simple USB-C plug from the solar panel into the back of the feeder.
The next thing that needed to be set up was the app. The VicoHome app is available in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play store. After installation and connection to wifi, things are ready to go!
All in all, I was able to get up and running in about 10-15 minutes.
What I like about the isYoung Smart Bird Feeder
- Video quality is pretty good, especially in bright daylight
- Multiple food options (seed, nectar, fruit) to accommodate different birds
- Included solar charging kit
What needs to be improved?
- No hanging installation option, must be pole or flat-mounted
- Need subscription to utilize the AI bird recognition
Final thoughts
I love this isYoung Smart Bird Feeder! It excels at its purpose as a bird feeder that can be installed anywhere and, along with a paid subscription, recognizes birds! It’s a fun distraction and I’ve found people are interested in what birds are coming to visit. I have shared access to the feeder and have family watching from all over the country. With it mounted to the front of my house, it also serves as an additional security camera for us.
Price: $199.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by isYoung. IsYoung did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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How are you mitigating squirrels, Frank? They are insidious seed-snatchers here. I’ve had to hang my feeders 50″ off the ground by fishing line, and 9′ away from vertical surfaces and I finally won the fight.
Hey L E X,
I did have to move the feeder to a few different spot in my yard. When I had it in the backyard, the camera picked up a field mouse sitting in the seeds, eating away.
I have since moved it closer to the front entrance to our house and so far, nothing but birds have been on the feeder. It’s still mounted to a pole but it’s away from any walls or fences. I did see a squirrel during the day eating the seeds that fell to the ground….so something I’ll need to keep an eye on.