There’s an unwritten rule that when you hit 50, you start noticing birds. First, you hear their songs, and then you start spotting them in the trees and flying overhead. They’ve been there your whole life, but some part of your amygdala opens up at the half-century, and then you’re on your way to becoming a birder like me.
• Browse all early Prime Day deals at Amazon
And for birders, there’s no better gadget than BirdBuddy Pro, which is now featured in a 44%-off sale ( now $168.00, was $299) for Amazon Prime Day. In the UK, you can drop by John Lewis, which has a £200.00 deal on the same webcam smartfeeder.
Today’s best Birdbuddy deals
This update to the popular Birdbuddy feeder and webcam ups the number of solar panels (you’ll never have to plug in again), increases the image capture resolution (2k), and even adds slo-mo. It’s the best way to feed and get up close with birds without actually getting too close.View Deal
The John Lewis deal on the Web Cam bird feeder might not be as good as Amazon’s, but they are promising a price match. Of course, Amazon in the UK is not currently selling the Bird Buddy Pro. Even so, it’s still an attractive price for the popular Birdbuddy feeder. This model ups the number of solar panels, and ups the image capture resolution (2k)View Deal
Back when my family gifted me a Birdbuddy (pre-Pro version), I called it my favorite gadget. Like this OG version, Birdbuddy Pro is a combo webcam and bird feeder.
The model on sale here is similar to mine in that it has a solar panel on the roof to keep the webcam charged up. The Pro version actually has two panels, one for each side of the roof. I have to say that, for as much as I love my Birdbuddy, I really wish it had two panels because every once in a while, mine gets stuck facing away from the sun for too long, and then I need to pull the webcam module and charge it indoors.
The Pro model also raises the video resolution to 2k and has a larger sensor for better photography. It can even shoot in slow motion.
The app helps you keep track of visitors, and the onboard AI automatically identifies most bird species. You can even pay a monthly subscription fee to have the system name and identify specific birds (among other perks like unlimited storage and sharing your Birdbuddy live feed with guests), so you know when Cara the Cardinal returns for more seed,
BirdBuddy Pro ships with a simple hook so you can hang it, but other accessories let you attach it to a pole or bolt it to, say, a shed. I have mine hanging from my shed and have captured (and shared) so many great images and videos of visiting cardinals (male and female), grackles, pigeons, mourning doves, blue jays, and house sparrows.
Squirrels sometimes drop in and dump most of the seed. In fact, if I had any criticisms of the device, it would be that the seed holder is too small (though the Pro enlarged it to 3.8 cups of seed, 0.3 cups more than what I get) and that there’s no easy way to protect it from unwanted critters. But that’s about it when it comes to any cons.
More early Prime Day deals in the US
- Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
- Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
- Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
- Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
- Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
- Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
- Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
- Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
- Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
- Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
- Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
- Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34
More early Prime Day deals in the UK
- Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
- Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £24.99
- Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
- Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
- Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
- Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
- Essentials: household goods from under £10
- Fashion: up to 50% off
- Father’s Day: up to 50% off gifts & drinks
- Headphones: up to 50% off
- Laptops: from £149.99
- Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
- Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
- TVs: from £129.99
- Vacuums: up to 40% off Eufy & Roborock
- Wearables: Garmin & Huawei from £36.99
