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My brief romance with an AI bird feeder
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- Name
- DeepHorus
A $269 AI-powered bird feeder promised to identify every backyard visitor. It worked beautifully for weeks, until a single uninvited guest exposed the limits of the technology. The brief romance ended with the device shoved into a closet.
The Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 Pro, normally priced at $350 but discounted to $269, packs a 4K HDR camera, a solar panel and lifetime AI identification. It was mounted in a garden and quickly drew dozens of tiny, colorful birds.
The companion app sent cheerful alerts: "Looks like Great Tit!" and "Looks like Eurasian Blue Tit!" Users could study migration habits, nesting preferences and diet. The birds skulked in nearby trees before flittering in for single husked sunflower seeds.
Then came the alert "Looks like Common Wood Pigeon!" A battleship-gray blob blocked the live camera feed entirely. The pigeon perched for 15 minutes, gorging on seeds intended for more refined guests, until the owner walked outside and shooed it away.
The feeder's Nuisance Animal Alarm β a feature usually reserved for squirrels β was triggered in mild panic. The siren made the pigeon tense and look around, but it was not deterred. It soon resumed eating, and neighbors presumably endured the noise.
After that, pigeons moved in permanently, perching for 30 minutes or more and slamming their faces into the seed pile. Mice arrived below to feast on the spoils. Admitting defeat, the owner dismounted the expensive feeder.
The reviewer holds no grudge against Kiwibit, calling the device a joy to use until it wasn't. The advice for buyers: start with something simple, inexpensive and without AI. Used feeders cannot be returned simply because they attract pests.
