Two-minute review
The first thing I need to make clear is that the Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera Case is just a case; no camera is included. Instead, the idea is that you can install your own home Wi-Fi security camera in the case. It comes with the necessary fittings to install one of the best outdoor home security cameras like a Blink Outdoor Camera, Wyze Cam V3, Wyze Cam V3 Pro, Wyze Cam Outdoor and Ring Stick Up Cam. Even including the $99 / £89.99 / AU$179 cost of a Ring Stick-Up camera, or $99.99 / £85.99 for a Blink Outdoor camera kit (not available in Australia), the Wasserstein is still very cheaply priced when compared to a dedicated bird feeder camera like the Netvue Birdfy.
Everything is easy to put together, with no tools required. The only negative on the build is the lack of a hinge for the roof, which has to be removed to refill the feeder. It isn’t a deal breaker, but it would have been a nice touch.
Holes in the back of the Wasserstein case allow you to add a cable for an optional solar panel, which in use exponentially increases the run time of the camera before it needs a charge. Wasserstein also sells a range of solar panels at reasonable prices, directly compatible with various security cameras including the Ring and Blink Outdoor models already mentioned here. Prices start from around $30 / £35 / AU$55 (Amazon).
Installing first the Blink Outdoor camera and then the Ring Stick-Up Cam in the case was straightforward, and took less than a minute to install – you simply need to insert the camera into the rear of the feeder. Swapping the cameras over involved taking the feeder down, opening the back, removing the Ring camera and its front support, which slides out, then sliding the Blink camera in along with a back support which stops the camera from slipping. It’s seamless, and you could work it out without referring to the instructions if you were inclined.
I mounted the camera to a tree using the included strap, and it was, again, very straightforward – thread the strap through some loops, wrap it around the tree, and put the belt through a buckle to tighten, and you’re done. A wall mounting bracket is also included, and there’s also a 1/4-inch screw thread on the bottom, which offers the potential of using a standard camera tripod mount and some camera arms and clamps to mount the feeder in some less conventional (read as ‘inaccessible to squirrels’) locations.
Filling the feeder was straightforward, although you must remove the roof. It would be nice if the roof were hinged like on other feeders, making it more accessible, especially when standing on a ladder leaning against a tree. A little water and syrup reservoir can also be fitted to the front of the feeder to feed hummingbirds. I attached it to my feeder, but I wasn’t expecting much hummingbird action in South London, UK.
The Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera Case has a list price of US$54.99 / £65.99 / AU$154.94.
US pricing is from the Wasserstein website, while UK and Australia pricing is from Amazon, although at the time of writing the case is marked as unavailable in Australia.
As for how good the camera is, it depends on which one you are using and the app you use. I have used Ring devices for many years, so I could pop my Ring Stick Up Camera in and have it ready to record. As I have a Ring subscription, the footage is automatically saved. I set it up with the Blink Outdoor camera, and it was as straightforward as any similar product. The Blink camera comes with a Blink Sync Module that needs to be plugged in and connected to wifi, but it also has a USB socket that can be used with a USB flash drive to save the footage locally. If you want Blink to keep it all to the cloud, that will cost £80/$100 a year or £8/$10 a month. However, it is worth noting again that if you already subscribe to Blink or Ring, you won't have to worry about this additional cost.
Both cameras work as you would expect. You get an alert when the camera detects motion, so you have to fine-tune this to correct the sensitivity so that every tree blowing in the wind isn't setting off the camera every few minutes, inundating you with notifications.
One thing that is worth noting is that all of these security cameras are set up to record people standing back from the camera. Whilst they have a wide angle of view and relatively close focus, the birds are very close to the camera compared to the humans they are designed to film, who will be standing a few meters away. I found that the birds perched too close to the Ring camera, causing them to be slightly out of focus, whereas the Blink camera was a little better but not perfect. This isn't a huge issue. Bird feeder cameras are designed for monitoring and casual sharing, not for creating the best possible cinematic footage. However, if you want to maximize quality, I recommend the Blink camera.
All cameras compatible with the Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera case are designed to be used outdoors and are weatherproof. The Bird Feeder Camera case protects it further still.
Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera Case videos samples with the Blink security camera
Compared to the dedicated bird feeders with pre-installed cameras, the big downside is that you don’t get any of the fancy AI bird recognition. You won’t receive notifications that a robin has just landed on your feeder. Instead, you will be told that motion has been detected - so it is worth making sure you name your camera appropriately so as not to cause mild panic that your house is being robbed.
Paradoxically, one thing that stood out with the Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera case was the discrete choice of transparent and brown plastics. It blends in with a natural background much more pleasantly than other bird feeders' bright whites, yellows and blues. It may not look as modern or fancy when mounted on the white wall of a house but strapped to a tree, it looks great.
Overall, the Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera Case is a cost-effective option that doubles as an everyday outdoor security camera holder. It provides easy installation and a visually pleasing design. While it lacks advanced AI bird recognition, it serves its purpose well for monitoring and casual sharing of bird activity.
Should I buy the Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera Case?
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How I tested the Netvue Birdfy
- A few days, mounted to a tree
- Two different home security cameras
- Using the various features of the camera apps
Having tested other bird feeder cameras recently, I was lucky that the birds and squirrels in my garden already knew exactly where to head for food. Within minutes of installing the feeder, the birds and squirrels headed straight to the feeder, and I was recording them using the Ring Stick Up cam and the Blink Outdoor camera.
Over this time, I had the chance to test the battery life and see if the cameras were suitable for bird feeder cameras. A small step ladder accessed the feeder, so I could see how easy it was to access the feeder to refill it with bird seed. The duration of the test also allowed me to see how the camera fared in the rain.
Overall, it was a thorough test combining the physical properties of the feeder and how it worked in tandem with the various cameras and apps.
First reviewed July 2023
