Build › Camera Placement › Feeder Cameras

Bird Feeder Cameras

Get crisp identification shots of every visitor. Distance, angle, backlighting, and mounting advice for capturing beautiful feeder footage.

Principles

Camera placement for feeders

A feeder camera has one job: give you a clear enough image to identify every visitor, even tiny warblers and sparrows that look alike in flight. Distance and light matter more than megapixels.

straighten

Distance

3–6 feet from the feeder is ideal. Closer and you lose context; farther and you lose detail on small songbirds.

wb_sunny

Lighting

Position the camera so it faces north or northeast. Avoid pointing into the sun or into a bright sky background, which washes birds into silhouettes.

panorama_horizontal

Background

Aim at a dark, neutral background — a tree trunk, fence, or shrub. This helps AI and the human eye pick out identifying marks.

Setup

Practical installation tips

  • height Mount slightly above the feeder and angled down — 10–20° below horizontal avoids the harsh backlit sky
  • videocam Use a camera with a wide-enough lens to see the entire feeder perch and a small approach zone
  • motion_photos_on Motion detection on feeders is tricky — leaves and shadows trigger false positives. Constant recording or AI-based filtering works better
  • water_drop Weatherproof the camera and cable exits. Feeder cameras sit in the open and take the brunt of rain and sun
  • memory Expect hundreds of clips per day at a busy feeder. Use a service that filters out empty clips or duplicates

See every visitor identified automatically

EverydayEarth watches your feeder footage, identifies each species, and writes narrated Field Notes so you never miss a first-of-the-year migrant.

Connect your camera