A bird box camera offers the perfect way to become a wildlife expert in your very own garden. They’re also sure to captivate the interest of old and young family members alike as you monitor the activity of your garden visitors.
These cameras attach to the lid or roof of your bird box, offering fantastic insight into the life of your nesting birds.
There’s a huge range of bird box cameras on the market, of varying quality and design.
If you’re looking for the best bird box camera for your garden, you might not know how to start your search. The following tips will help you to make an informed decision:
The Different Style Options
The first decision you’ll have to make is whether to opt for just a camera kit, or a bird box + camera combo.
Bird Box + Camera Combo
These are easy to set up and ideal if you don’t already have birds nesting in your garden.
The biggest advantage of buying both the bird box and camera as a combo is that the box will be specifically designed to work with the camera. These boxes usually have certain features that work to improve the set up and video quality of the camera. For example:
- A separate compartment to fit the camera into – you’ll be able to take the camera out without disturbing the birds.
- A quick-release camera – the camera will be easy to remove from its secured position, again limiting disruption to the nesting birds.
- A window – this will provide light and improve the quality of the daytime footage.
The main disadvantage of these box/camera combos is that you don’t always have as much choice when choosing a box as you otherwise would. Your choice has to be based on what boxes are available with the cameras.
Bird Box Camera Kit
A bird box kit, consisting of just a bird box camera and its cables/fittings (with no bird box included) may be a better choice if you already have birds nesting in your garden.
You can use a bird box kit to install cameras in bird boxes that you already own, which is great if you know that birds are already comfortable with them.
Of course, a camera kit is also a good option if you’ve recently bought a bird box and don’t want to buy another one, or if you’re looking to buy a specific type of bird box and the design isn’t available as a combo with a camera.
They can be a bit more fiddly to set up, which is to be expected, especially as the bird box you’ll be fitting it into wasn’t necessarily designed for use with a camera.
You might need to be a little bit more adept at DIY to install a camera like this, especially compared to the bird box + camera combos. But, they’re still relatively straight forward so don’t be too put off.
Choosing a Wireless or ‘Cabled’ System
Bird box cameras are either wireless or need to be connected to the television using cables.
Wireless bird box cameras generally still need to be plugged in for power, they just don’t require wires to transmit the camera images to a display inside. ‘Cabled’ systems need to be plugged in for power, as well as connected into the TV.
A quick note on power source: standard bird-box cameras are mains powered, but there are also solar-powered and battery-powered cameras available, as well as units powered by Power-over-Ethernet ports.
‘Cabled’ Systems
Cabled bird box cameras tend to offer better image quality because there is a direct connection to the camera. However, it does mean that you will need to find a way to run the cables from the garden into your house.
This may require drilling a hole for the cable, or running it through an open window when you want to watch the camera.
With most cabled bird box cameras there’s generally only one cable to contend with, which splits into three cables at the end of its length. These connect to the ‘video’ and ‘audio’ jacks on your TV, as well as to a power socket.
Cables tend to be either 20 m or 30 m in length, so getting one of these models might depend on the location of your camera in relation to your television – if a cable won’t reach, you might need a wireless model.
Wireless Systems
Wireless bird box cameras don’t require a cable to connect them to your television, tablet or computer.
That said, they still require access to a power supply.
Different cameras connect to different power sources, so you may still need to run a power cable from the camera to a mains socket or Power over Ethernet connection.
Other options, like solar-powered or battery-powered cameras are wireless in every sense of the word.
There are two main types of wireless camera:
- Some cameras transmit video to a wireless signal convertor. These will come with an additional receiver unit which gets connected to the TV. You’ll then be able to watch the live-stream from your television. The benefit of this is that you don’t need to run a cable to your television. The drawback to these receivers is that they often get quite weak reception, so your bird-box camera and television should ideally be within 20 m of each other.
- Other cameras transfer video via your wireless internet by using a Power over Ethernet connection. They can then stream the video to devices connected to your Wi-Fi network, such as laptops, tablets and phones. The benefit of this connection is that you can get a strong reception as long as your internet is good. Plus, you’ll be able to view the video on different devices. The drawback is you will need a Power over Ethernet connection in your house, within a cable’s reach of the bird box.
If you have a larger garden, or an ‘inconveniently’ placed bird box, you’ll probably find that the best bird box camera will be a wireless model. At least then there’s only the power supply to worry about – sometimes there’s a limit to how much wire you can trail to your TV, no matter how determined you are.
Image Quality and Viewing Width
Look for a high resolution bird box camera to make sure you’re getting the sort of picture quality that you’re hoping for. Some bird box cameras are HD, which is definitely a buzzword to look out for.
It’s quite common to find bird box cameras that offer ‘700 TVL’ resolution, which is also quite high quality, yet not as expensive as HD. Anything under 700 TVL may not give you the clear image you’re hoping for.
When it comes to viewing width, ideally you want it to be as large an angle possible. Something around 100° will make sure you really get a good view inside the nest. The bigger the angle, the more you’ll be able to see of the bird box’s interior.
When it comes to improving the viewing experience further, a built-in microphone can add another level of interest. As you might expect, it will allow you to hear, as well as see, what’s going on, which can be really fascinating.
Night Vision in Bird Box Cameras
Many bird box cameras come with infrared LEDs that allow you to monitor what’s going on, even at night.
The discreet infrared LEDs won’t disturb the birds while they nest, so you don’t need to worry about these cameras causing them any problems – birds aren’t able to see infrared light.
If you’re hoping to frequently watch the birds at night, the importance of a decent-quality bird box camera (HD or 700 TVL, as mentioned above) becomes even more significant. Distinguishing between shapes when using night vision can be a lot harder when the picture quality isn’t good to begin with.
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