Camouflage EZ-BirdFeed camera - practical tips and info

Want to take a closer look at the birds in your garden while they eat and capture it all? The Camouflage EZ-BirdFeed is a feeder with a built-in camera and motion sensor. The free Bird Lover app lets you watch live, via Wi-Fi, on your phone or tablet. You don't need a socket; the solar panels on the roof charge the camera's battery. This bird feeder is a wonderful addition to your garden and highly recommended for any bird lover. We have collected all the practical tips and information so you can get started quickly.

Camouflage EZ-Birdfeed opgehangen

What is the Camouflage EZ-BirdFeed?

The EZ-BirdFeed is a bird feeder with a built-in camera and motion sensor. In front of the camera is a tray where you put bird food and a water container with a reservoir for birds to drink from if necessary. When birds come to eat, you can watch live via an app on your phone. The automatically captured photos and videos with sound are also stored on the included 32GB microSD card.

Take photos and live stream 1080p HD video

The camera takes sharp 2 Megapixel photos and supports 1080p HD livestream video via Wi-Fi, so you can watch the birds in your garden in high quality. The camera module has a super wide-angle lens with a 130° angle of view. This provides a comprehensive view of all activity around the feeder. Even in the dark, the camera takes clear shots through night vision with a range of up to 8 metres. Please note that the camera's Wi-Fi only works via a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection, as this has a longer range than 5 GHz. Via the free Bird Lover app, you can review all the photos and videos taken from the camera at your leisure. So you never have to worry again that you just missed out on special birds.

whats in the box
Camouflage EZ-Birdfeed opgehangen

Practical, weatherproof design

Measuring about 19x21x31 cm, the birdhouse is just a little bigger than an A4 sheet of paper. The housing that holds the camera, as well as the container where you put the feed, is made of transparent green plastic. This makes it easy to see how much feed is in there. The roof protects the food in the house from rain, and small holes at the bottom allow excess water to drain away. This prevents the bird food from staying wet and going mouldy. There are small solar panels on both sides of the roof for charging the built-in powerful battery. Its colour and size allow you to hang it quite inconspicuously in your garden.

The Camouflage EZ-BirdFeed has an IP65 rating, which means it is protected against dust and water. The ‘6’ means the device is completely dust-proof. The ‘5’ indicates that it can withstand water jets, such as rain or a jet of water from a garden hose, but not immersion in water. This particularly concerns the electrical elements such as the camera and solar panels, as the rest of the housing is plastic.

Which memory card does it work with?

The photos and videos taken by the camera are stored on the included 32GB microSD card. Should you need more storage, you can easily replace it with another microSD card of up to 128GB size.

Battery and built-in solar panels

The birdhouse is equipped with a 5200 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which is charged via the built-in solar panels. The solar panel supports the entire daily energy consumption on sunny days. However, if the sun does not provide enough energy for a longer period, you can also charge the battery with the included USB cable. It has a standby time of 4 to 6 months and basically it can work for up to 3 months on one battery charge plus recharging by the sun. If there is no sun, it consumes about 5% per day, depending on how often the motion detection is activated.

The battery consumes energy when the camera is triggered by motion detection, when you watch birds via the Bird Lover app, or when the camera is constantly searching for a Wi-Fi signal in case of a weak or lost connection. Keep in mind that the latter consumes a lot of battery power, so make sure you have a good strong 2.4 MHz Wi-Fi signal.

Tip: if recharging with the sun is not enough

Pimpelmees bij voederbak

Which birds can you expect?

When you place a bird feeder in your garden, different species of birds may pass by. Some birds are common in gardens, while others are seen less frequently. Birds need to get used to a new object in their environment. Some birds, such as sparrows and great tits, are curious and are quick to explore new objects. Cautious species, such as robins, may need more time to find the object safe.

Most common bird species:

  • Robins: These little brown birds are easily recognised by their orange-red breast and head. They have a light underbelly. The male and female look the same. Young birds do not yet have a red breast but are light brown mottled.
  • Blue tit: A blue tit can be recognised by its distinctive blue colour on top of its head, white head with a thin, black eye stripe and a yellow breast. It also has a black-blue chin patch and wings with a blue tinge. The male is brighter in colour than the female and young birds.
  • Blackbird: In blackbirds, the male is entirely black, with a yellow or orange bill. Females are dark brown in colour with a yellow or brown bill. Young blackbirds are slightly lighter in colour than their mothers and are a lot more downy.
  • Great tit: You can recognise these birds by their black head and white cheeks. They have a yellow belly with a black stripe down the middle.
  • House sparrow: The females have an almost uniform light brown plumage with a prominent eyebrow stripe behind the eye. The male, on the other hand, has much more contrast. He has a grey cap with reddish-brown sides, grey cheeks, grey underbody and broad white wing stripes. One young resembles its parents, but a downy version.
Bird Lover app

What can you do with the Bird Lover app?

The app is very simple to use and easy to set up. To use the free Bird Lover app, you need an e-mail address or phone number to verify your account. Through the app, you can access the camera worldwide. You can stream live images to your smartphone or tablet. When a bird is detected, you will immediately receive a push notification. You can also easily share the captured photos and videos on social media. You can even add family and friends who also have the Bird Lover app so they can also watch the birds in your garden.

Getting push notifications from the app

You get a push notification when motion is detected by the sensor. If the motion detection bird icon is coloured green in the overview, the notifications are on. If you turn it off by pressing it, you will no longer receive notifications. If it gives no notifications, but motion detection is on, turn it on via your ‘Profile’ as well. Go to Message Center and press the cog in the top corner. There you can turn notifications on or off. With the app, you can watch livestream or review previous recordings stored on the microSD card. What you should note is that it needs a WiFi signal to send you those notifications and livestream.

When motion is detected, it records one snap-shot and a 15-second video clip. You can watch those back later via Playback (via Message > Click to view button) and re-record the video if necessary. You can download the snap-shot to your phone only from the Message tab (bottom left) when watching the live stream, not from Message Center's Alarm. If you get a push notification and go to the live stream to watch, press the record video button. This way, you can also take more pictures.

Identifying birds with Ai

Watch a saved video recording and take a snapshot in which the main features of the bird are clearly visible, such as the head, tail, wings and feather pattern. When you open the snapshot in your album, you can click on the bird icon at the bottom. This icon helps identify the bird species and provides a link to the corresponding Wikipedia article. Accuracy depends on whether enough landmarks can be seen. Sometimes it does not immediately recognise the right bird species, but you get an indication of the bird group, which helps you search further. In theory, it can recognise more than 11,000 bird species.

Even more features

The app has other handy features. For example, you can see how much battery the BirdFeed feeder has left. You can also adjust the video quality to HD or SD in the app. In addition, a siren is available to scare away unwanted eaters. In the gallery, you can easily view your photos and videos that you have saved and in the collection exactly see which birds you have seen to keep a personal bird diary. Finally, there is an option to use a cloud storage service, but that is completely optional.

camera module - opladen
Bird Lover app
QR-code voor camera

How do you set up the BirdFeed feeder for the first time?

1) Connecting to the app

Before using the camera, you need to fully charge it the first time. The USB-C port is under the rubber cap, which you see when you tilt the camera forward. That's also where you can see the microSD card. Charging the 5200 mAh battery takes about 1.5 hours. Meanwhile, download the Bird Lover app and create an account. Once the white indicator light is off, it is fully charged. After charging, turn the camera on using the on/off slider. The red light will start flashing again. Add the device in the app with ‘add device’. Then connect the camera to your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network by selecting your Wi-Fi name and entering the password.

After that, a QR code will appear on the screen. Scan the QR code with the camera lens of the bird feeder. You will then hear the camera prompt of 3 short beeps. After this, press ‘I heard a prompt’. If all went well, you will get a notification that the camera was successfully added. The camera will turn on when you connect and then you can view live images.

Does it not work right away? Then remove the rubber cover where the microSD card is also located and reset the camera with the included pin and try again.

2) Choose the perfect spot in your garden

Choose a quiet place to hang the feeder, preferably at eye level. Connect to the app first so you can see if the location is within wifi signal range, so that the connection to the camera remains stable. You can check the signal strength at Settings > Device Information. Preferably place the bird feeder in a sheltered spot to prevent the food from getting too wet from rain.

Make sure the camera is facing a sunny spot for optimal images, but avoid direct sunlight on the lens to avoid overexposure. You can rotate the entire housing slightly to the left and right, if necessary. Also consider the motion detection so that it works properly and is not triggered unnecessarily by other movements, such as those of leaves or insects flying by.

Optimal placement

  • Mounting at a height of 1.5-2 metres;
  • At least 3 metres away from windows and doors;
  • Sheltered from direct wind and rain;
  • Near natural shelters such as bushes;
  • Avoid locations with a lot of human activity;
  • Provide sufficient natural light for the solar panels.
manual BirdFeed
supplies
Screw bracket on
tighten screws
connect solar panels

3) Mount the feeder

Use the bracket provided to mount the feeder on a stable surface. The English manual explains with pictures in clear steps how to do this. For this, you will need a normal PH2 Phillips screwdriver. Depending on whether you use the plugs, you will need a drill with a 5.5 mm or 6 mm drill bit. The specific dimensions for drilling are on the drill sticker. If you mount the house on a wooden floor, you don't need the plugs. Of course, it is then handy to pre-drill a small hole (approx. 3 mm). The white plastic cap at the bottom only fits in one way, as there is a hole for the green pin. Don't forget to connect the camera cable to the solar panels.

waterfles monteren
vogelvoer in bakje
klep open om te vullen

4) Fill the tray with bird food

Use bird food that is suitable for the birds in your area. You can buy this from a local pet shop or online, for example. About 1.5 litres of food fits in the bird house, but it is better to keep filling smaller amounts. You can easily flip open the roof to put the food in.

Make sure the food stays dry as much as possible. Wet food spoils faster, which is detrimental to the birds' health. It is therefore important to keep food dry and fresh. A tip is to use a suet ball, if no birds appear with regular bird food. You can place the water bottle at four different points.

The perfect bird food

Recommended feed:

  • Mixed seeds for small garden birds
  • Sunflower seeds (black)
  • Peanuts (unsalted)
  • Dried mealworms
  • Special seed mixes for seasonal feeding
  • Suet balls


To avoid:

  • Bread or pastries
  • Salted or spiced nuts
  • Cooked leftovers
  • Dairy products
  • Avocado or chocolate
  • Foods with added sugars

How do I get the water bottle on it?

Roodborst bij voederbak
Koolmees bij voederbak

5) Test and enjoy

Check if the camera is working properly by viewing the live images in the app. Also check if you receive push notifications when motion is detected. If necessary, adjust settings such as image quality (HD or SD) or motion detection sensitivity. You can set the sensitivity at Settings > Detection Alarm Settings > Alarm Sensitivity Level. You can choose from High, Medium and Low.

Once everything is set to your liking, you can start enjoying the visitors in your garden. Watch live how birds eat, their behaviour, and maybe even new species you haven't seen before.

What do the indicator lights mean?

  • Continuous red light: turn on camera.
  • Red light flashing fast: pairing mode.
  • Green light flashing fast: network connection.
  • Continuous green light: network connected.
  • Red light flashing slowly: abnormal status (Must be reset).
  • Continuous yellow light: during firmware update.
  • Continuous white light: charging, the light turns off after it is fully charged.
Ez-BirdFeed met sneeuw
Camouflage EZ-BirdFeed

Maintaining and cleaning the feeder

If the BirdFeed hangs outside for a long time, it is inevitable that it will get a bit dirty. That in itself is not a bad thing, but if you want to clean it, it is not difficult. Once all the bird food is out, just go over all the surfaces with a wet cloth. If necessary, you can use green soap. After that, rinse it well. Just remember that you cannot immerse the camera and the solar panel roof in water. To close the USB-C port of the camera, you can use the black cap that comes in a bag together with the plugs. For rinsing, you can use a plant spray if necessary. In general, the most important thing is that the bird food stays fresh.

Feed maintenance

  • Check regularly for mould growth
  • Change the feed if it is mouldy
  • Clean the feeder before putting in new bird food

Camera maintenance

  • Keep the camera lens clean for best image quality
  • Update the app regularly for new features
  • Periodically check the solar panels for dirt
  • Clean the feeder thoroughly every six months

Brief summary - what to expect

The Camouflage EZ-BirdFeed is an innovative bird feeder with a built-in camera and motion sensor that allows you to closely watch birds in your garden. Thanks to the 1080p HD live stream and 130° wide-angle lens, you can see the birds in high quality, even at night. The EZ-BirdFeed is weatherproof and easy to install. The feeder has a separate tray for food and water, and the camera stores the automatically captured photos and videos (with sound) on an included 32GB microSD card. It has solar panels and a rechargeable battery, so it lasts a long time without much maintenance. Via the Bird Lover app, you watch along live or get a push notification when there is movement. You can not only watch the birds on the Birdfeed live, but also identify them via the app.

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