Give Bluebirds a Cozy Winter Retreat With This Clever Bird House – Complete With a Built-In Camera

It even has AI recognition, so you can find out which species are visiting your garden

Eastern bluebird in frost
(Image credit: Gordon Magee via Getty Images)

As we move into winter, it's important to assess how our yards offer support to wildlife. One of the most useful products to invest in is a bird house – and I've just found one that has a camera so you can observe visitors.

If you're looking for ways to help garden birds in winter, the Birdfy smart bird house on Amazon is something to consider. It offers shelter for smaller garden birds, notably suited to bluebirds and chickadees. Inside, a camera captures adorable footage and sends alerts to your phone. Even better, Birdfy offer AI recognition for no extra fee, so you can find out exactly which species are visiting your yard.

I love the wooden finish of this bird house, too, subtly slotting into the garden landscape with natural materials. The 4.4-star rating also gives me confidence in its quality, with reviewers describing, the camera quality as 'fantastic'. Not to mention, it's currently 21% off, so now is the time to snatch it up before the winter weather arrives.

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Which Birds Use Bird Houses?

Bluebird on birdhouse

(Image credit: Robert Winkler via Getty Images)

When it comes to incorporating bird house ideas in your yard, it's important to understand which species use them and whether they're local to you.

Mostly, cavity-nesting birds, including both the Eastern and Western bluebird, wrens, and chickadees, seek bird houses and nest boxes in residential gardens.

While the main nesting season is typically from February to August, bird houses are still invaluable in winter. They provide warm shelter and a hiding spot from predators. Smaller birds even use them for huddling, for example bluebirds often crowd in groups of up to 14 in a standard bird house to survive freezing temperatures.

When it comes to the Birdfy smart bird house, it has an entrance 1.5" wide which is ideal for bluebirds in particular. Smaller birds can also use it, but you can also purchase a specific wren and chickadee bird house from Amazon with a 1.1/8" entry hole.

What Shoppers Say

Amazon Birdfy smart bird house

(Image credit: Amazon)

The Birdfy smart bird house has raving reviews from shoppers who love its look, quality, and function.

Firstly, customers say it's easy to install and is durably constructed.

'The unboxing and installation process was straightforward and user-friendly. The bird house arrives preassembled, requiring only the installation of the camera and the interior mesh floor,' one five-star reviewer shares.

The bird house is made of solid fir wood, weatherproof and durable for years of use.

'The setup process for the camera system on this bird house was the easiest I've seen this far with the Birdfy app and a simple scan of the QR code, the only step is adding WiFi,' another shopper shares.

As for the camera quality, customers say, 'the camera gives a clear image inside the house. In the app [you] can pick, color or night video. It also does it automatically. You can turn on a light so you can see better in the dark.'

Even better, it's a solar garden feature, so it's pretty low-maintenance once installed.

'The biggest bonus to this kit is it comes with the solar panel for easy charging without having to disturb the wildlife,' a reviewer writes.

And if the camera does disconnect from the app, there's a remote control that shoppers have found to work well.

'If the camera ever goes offline and you need to reset it, you can push the remote and it resets without disturbing the birds,' says a shopper.

'What’s also fun about it is AI identifies the species which is helpful to learn about birds! The functionality and value of this bird house is just exceptional and I’m very happy with it!' another person adds.

The only downside to note is that the solar charging does require a sunny position, so isn't necessarily ideal underneath a tree. Though, you can put it out to charge in the sun and then replace in its desired position.

With the current discount making it just $141.99, this seems like a worthwhile investment to me. Not only will it make your yard wildlife-friendly before frost, it will also be charming to watch the nesting season come spring.

What to Shop


When adding a bird house or nest box to your yard, don't forget to read up on bird box mistakes. This includes placing it too low to the ground, putting too many close together, and neglecting to clean the box out.

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Tenielle Jordison
Gardens Content Editor

Tenielle is a Gardens Content Editor at Homes & Gardens. She holds a qualification in MA Magazine Journalism and has over six years of journalistic experience. Before coming to Homes & Gardens, Tenielle was in the editorial department at the Royal Horticultural Society and worked on The Garden magazine. As our in-house houseplant expert, Tenielle writes on a range of solutions to houseplant problems, as well as other 'how to' guides, inspiring garden projects, and the latest gardening news. When she isn't writing, Tenielle can be found propagating her ever-growing collection of indoor plants, helping others overcome common houseplant pests and diseases, volunteering at a local gardening club, and attending gardening workshops, like a composting masterclass.