Our line of bird box cameras have been delighting wildlife and bird lovers for years, providing incredible close-up views of chicks as they hatch and fledge from right inside the nest box. Their small size and versatility mean we’ve had customers use them to watch everything from beehives to sparrowhawks. Despite this, we’re always listening to our customers and one of the things we’ve been asked for years is a simple way to view footage from the camera live on a smartphone or tablet. With this in mind, we’re proud to unveil the result of years of development with between our technical team and our factory – the new Green Feathers Wi-Fi Bird Box Camera.
Simple viewing on the go
Whilst it might seem like a simple question, for a long while the only way to view a bird box camera on a mobile device was to leave it plugged into a running PC using a USB cable (impractical for many people), or to connect it to an external device such as a CCTV recorder (gets great results, but is costly and needs an in-depth setup). The key to solving the problem was to use a miniaturised IP camera. These are digital cameras send an image as data down a network cable and have the benefit of plugging directly into your network without needing any extra devices. As an additional benefit, IP cameras can record HD video. The result is pin-sharp video, capturing fine details of feathers and markings.
Connecting to WiFi
Our WiFi Bird Box Camera is the newest model in the range, capable of connecting directly to your home network. All you need to do is make sure that the camera is connected to power and that there is a Wi-Fi signal in the part of your garden where it’s going to be installed – if in doubt, checking the bars on your phone is an easy way to test signal strength. Once installed, there are free apps available for using the camera with Android and iOS devices, as well as from a Windows PC. One key feature is the new addition of a MicroSD card slot on the underside of the camera. This allows you to record and store clips of the hatching chicks without needing any pricey extra recording devices. You can even use the apps to set up motion detection recording, to automatically capture footage when animals are moving in the nest.
Purpose-built Camera
As with all of the Green Feathers range, the camera is loaded with features to help improve its performance inside a small and dark nest box. It uses a wide-angle lens with a massive wide angle field of view of 104°, ensuring everything inside the box can fit into the frame – even the entrance hole, which is often cut off with cheaper cameras. For boxes without window panels for light, the camera is fitted with a set of infrared LEDs for night vision. Crucially, these use low frequency invisible infra-red, which doesn’t have any visible glow that could disturb the birds. The new cameras also have IR filters, allowing them to capture vivid, true-to-life full colour during daylight hours.
WiFi or Wired Options
The new WiFi camera means we now have two options for viewing HD footage from inside your bird box, as it joins our popular Wired HD Bird Box Camera. The two new cameras perfectly compliment each other, with the WiFi model providing a hassle-free installation, and the wired model a stable connection when your bird box’s location has no signal available. Multiple wired cameras can also be connected to one of our CCTV recorders, letting you set up a larger monitoring system for aviaries or breeding. Whether you need a single camera with a quick setup for a gift for Grandad or a dedicated multi-camera system for enthusiasts, Green Feathers has you covered.
