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Chook Buddy Sensible Chook Feeder Professional: one-minute overview
The Chook Buddy Sensible Chook Feeder Professional makes use of the identical Bird Buddy Smart Bird Feeder housing that options in our Best Bird Feeder Cameras round-up, however the digital camera has been upgraded to a brand new ‘Nature Cam’ unit.
Being the identical dimension as its predecessor, the brand new digital camera unit merely slots into the housing and is held in place with a magnet. Set up and set-up proved straightforward and I used to be up and operating in minutes. The brand new digital camera is noticeably higher, providing an improved dynamic vary and coloration, however most significantly it’s now 2K in decision which could be activated with a Chook Buddy Premium subscription.
There’s a good degree of management over the notifications you obtain, with the choices to obtain each potential go to to your feeder, or simply the good notifications of the visits which may be of curiosity, corresponding to new chook species. Throughout the app, visits, or ‘Postcards’ as they’re referred to as, are saved to Collections, the place you possibly can go in and see all the totally different birds (and different animals) which have stopped by. You may also see different Postcards that customers all over the world have chosen to share.
The general Chook Buddy system may be very design-oriented and filled with good touches, from the best way that the optionally available photo voltaic panel roof could be fitted, to the meals hatch on the rear, the intense yellow or blue coloration of the feeder and the neat however trendy packaging and app design; every little thing has been thought out with a function.
There’s a vary of further equipment for the Chook Buddy, together with the photo voltaic panel roof. This neatly slots into place, and so long as it’s angled into daylight for part of the day, it ought to present sufficient energy that you just need not take away the digital camera for charging, particularly through the summer time. Different equipment embrace a 3-in-1 Diet package, which offers a water bottle, a fruit spike and a ‘Jelly Tray’, every designed to fulfill totally different birds’ dietary wants.
One space that may very well be seen as missing are the extra options that different cameras provide. For instance, the Birdfy vary is successfully repackaged dwelling safety cameras, with all of the capabilities such cameras present, corresponding to built-in lights and alarm programs – each of which will also be used (often unsuccessfully) to scare away squirrels. If you’re searching for a birdfeeder digital camera that doubles up as a safety digital camera to your backyard, then Chook Buddy will not be the digital camera for you, it would not have these options.
For many who purely wish to benefit from the avian guests to their backyard and share these pictures with household and mates on social media, the fantastically designed Chook Buddy app and high-quality images and video footage will present hours of delight. There’s nonetheless the excitement of pleasure while you get a notification of a brand new chook species stopping at your feeder.
Chook Buddy Sensible Chook Feeder Professional: worth and availability
- Out there now, lsit worth $279/ £160
- There are many optionally available equipment
- You may want a premium subscription to unlock one of the best options
The Chook Buddy Sensible Feeder Professional price $279 / £219 however is at present lowered by 35% from its authentic worth and could be had for $189 / £160.77 on the time of writing.
If you need the Photo voltaic Roof model, it’s priced at an affordable $219 / £186.29. The Chook Buddy could be bought immediately from the Bird Buddy website, which has US and EU retailer choices. It’s also obtainable on Amazon through their World Retailer, so it ought to be obtainable worldwide. It will also be bought from John Lewis and Curry’s within the UK.
The optionally available add-ons are the Perch Extender ($24), Photo voltaic Roof ($59), 3-in-1 Diet Set ($39), Wall Mount ($29), and Suet Ball Holder ($14). Once more, every of those is accessible through the Chook Buddy web site or Amazon, relying in your location. Costs are transformed to GBP.
There are two optionally available Premium subscription companies obtainable in Particular person and Household variations. As detailed, these present a variety of latest options, most significantly 2K Extremely video decision and limitless on-line storage of footage. The Household possibility permits you to grant relations entry to the reside feed out of your digital camera. To search out out extra concerning the variations within the plans, see Bird Buddy Plans.
Chook Buddy Sensible Chook Feeder Professional: specs
|
Sensor |
1/2.7″ |
|
Picture |
5MP – HDR, 66-150mm approx focus vary with a 122 diploma FOV |
|
Video |
as much as 2K @ 30fps, 960p @ 120fps |
|
Reminiscence |
N/A – on-line storage |
|
Dimensions |
160mm(W) x 230mm(H) x 175mm(D) |
|
Weight |
600 g |
|
Battery |
3800 mAh rechargeable lithium ion |
Chook Buddy Sensible Chook Feeder Professional: design
- Compact All-In-One design
- Nice design touches to maintain every little thing neat and tidy
- Photo voltaic Roof reduces the necessity to take away and recharge the digital camera
Organising the Chook Buddy Sensible Feeder Professional was simple. After reviewing the earlier model of the digital camera, I already had the app put in, so set up was so simple as choosing “add a brand new Chook Buddy” within the app menu and following the on-screen directions. The directions are very clear and have a human really feel to them. Setup is straightforward, and you do not want earlier expertise to simply pair the digital camera to your telephone after which your Wi-Fi system.
As Chook Buddy despatched me the brand new Nature Cam to put in in my present Chook Buddy feeder, I merely eliminated the cable linking the unique digital camera to the Photo voltaic Roof and pulled out the digital camera, which is held in a recess with a powerful magnet. Becoming the brand new digital camera was the reverse process, with the magnet reassuringly making certain the digital camera was locked in tight. Once more, the USB-C charging port was related to the Photo voltaic Roof.
As equipped by Chook Buddy, the feeder has a mount that may be related to a publish, or it comes with a rope for hanging from a tree or feeding pole. I opted to hold the feeder from a department of a tree and tried to place it in order that the photo voltaic panel was oriented to get as a lot daylight as potential.
The feeder itself is comprised of robust plastic. It has a small panel on the prime of the rear that may be opened to pour in chook feed. In truth, the feeder comes with a Feed Scoop. It may be a bit bit fiddly given I needed to climb a ladder, with the feeder is swinging from a tree, however it’s fairly a neat resolution. There’s an optionally available Wall Mount that permits you to swivel the feeder round for simple entry to the rear for loading meals.
The feeder was positioned round 12m from the closest Wi-Fi entry level, which was in my home and thru a glass window. I had no issues connecting to the digital camera when desirous to view, though there was a brief delay whereas I needed to anticipate the reside view to seem on my telephone. In actuality, this was now not than if I attempted to hook up with view my Ring digital camera reside view.
When you have adopted any of my earlier chook feeder evaluations, you’ll know I’ve a difficulty with squirrels raiding the feeders in my backyard. The Chook Buddy has no Squirrel deterrents just like the Birdfy feeder cameras. Nevertheless, the excellent news is that little harm has been executed to the housing regardless of it being scratched and chewed by squirrels, over the course of a 12 months and a half hanging in my backyard.
Having the feeder hanging slightly than strapped or mounted to the tree has made it tougher for the squirrels to get to it, however they nonetheless discover methods of leaping and climbing to succeed in the meals. A minimum of the feeder remains to be intact.
The opposite factor price noting is each Particular person and Household subscriptions are potential. The first purpose for a subscription is to unlock the Extremely 2K decision, which has noticeably higher, much less compressed picture high quality.
The subscription additionally provides the Distant Feeder Unlock to see feeders from all over the world, Limitless Cloud storage of your images and video, the Title That Chook characteristic, which lets you give a nickname to a particular chook particular person chook, Chook Care which can provide you with a warning about injured or sick birds and provide recommendation on how one can maintain your birds wholesome, and at last Chook Buddy Experiments which give the person entry to new options which may be trialled.
Though you possibly can add household and mates to your account to see video clips out of your feeder, the Household Premium subscription permits family and friends to log in and see the reside view out of your feeder.
Picture 1 of 6
Chook Buddy Sensible Chook Feeder Professional: efficiency
- 2K video obtainable through a subscription solely
The picture high quality from the Nature Cam is noticeably higher than that of the unique digital camera if you fork out for a subscription which unlocks 2K decision. Accomplish that, and pictures have extra advantageous element, and the HDR picture brings out extra color and element.
There are limitations; the digital camera sensor remains to be 1/2.7″, which is about on par with a smartphone digital camera. Nevertheless, the low decision presents affordable dynamic vary efficiency, which could be seen in shadow particulars.
Highlights are simply blown out, as you’d count on, and direct daylight could cause lens flares, so it is very important place the feeder, and subsequently the digital camera, at an angle the place these shall be minimized, or at the very least at instances of day if you end up almost definitely to get footage from the digital camera.
Gentle is every little thing with regards to images, and the location of the digital camera in relation to the solar could make a giant distinction within the pictures you get from the digital camera.
It ought to be famous that the Chook Buddy creates portrait-orientation movies, that are excellent for viewing on a smartphone. Nevertheless, in the event you ultimately wish to view them on a TV display or laptop, you may wish to look elsewhere for one of the best viewing expertise.
In comparison with different chook feeder cameras I’ve examined, there may be extra of a delay in receiving notifications, so you will not at all times catch the chook on the reside stream. Nevertheless, the Postcards you obtain are a pleasant contact. You may flip notifications off completely and examine in on the app often to catch up the motion you might have missed.
The digital camera focuses nicely on smaller birds, with loads of room on the feeder for them to perch and decide on the feed. Nevertheless, bigger birds battle to land and in addition to stability on my hanging feeder. The optionally available perch add-on could be an important addition for many customers. It permits bigger birds to land and their heads to be farther from focus. If you wish to seize bigger birds clearly, I’d advocate getting the perch as an adjunct.
I’ve had the unique Chook Buddy Sensible Feeder hanging outdoors in my backyard for over a 12 months. It has seen brilliant sunshine and freezing snow, and the recyclable plastic construction is in tact, though the colour has pale barely from the UV mild. I had the brand new Nature Cam put in for a number of months for testing, and it has additionally seen heavy rain, freezing circumstances, and brilliant sunshine. It’s in nice situation, and it’s nonetheless performing completely.
The Photo voltaic Roof has been an important accent, and within the winter months, the digital camera would not have to be taken in and charged regardless of the decrease mild ranges. In the summertime, I do know I may need to reposition it to keep away from foliage casting shadows on the roof, however this can be negated by the truth that there shall be extra sunlight hours.
Video and photograph samples
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Must you purchase the Chook Buddy Sensible Chook Feeder Professional?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
How I examined the Chook Buddy Sensible Chook Feeder Professional
- I hung the feeder in a tree for six months
- It was related to my dwelling Wi-Fi
- I monitored the birds visiting each day through the Chook Buddy app
I examined the Chook Buddy Sensible Chook Feeder Professional by hanging it from a tree in my backyard that birds (and squirrels) often go to. The feeder was strapped to the tree, and the digital camera was arrange utilizing an iPhone and the Chook Buddy app.
I left the feeder up there for months via all climate circumstances. Throughout that point, I monitored the birds visiting through the app in real-time and reviewed images and movies that had been captured.
I’ve additionally checked out AI recognition and the assorted capabilities of the app.
- First reviewed April 2025