Perennially popular across all parts of the UK, a bird box is a benevolent purchase that offers wild birds a safe place to roost - and, crucially, nest. By offering birds a safe haven from weather and predators, you encourage them to enter your garden so you can enjoy their avian antics. We've taken a look at outdoor wildlife cameras that can capture footage of birds in your outside space, but we're taking that a step further with bird box cameras that allow you to watch birds in their indoor space.
We have a variety of bird box cameras to choose from including wired and wireless, ones that broadcast to a television or screen, and options that work with handy companion apps. You can also consider cameras that offer an audio feed, high-definition cameras, and those with night vision. Most of the options we're featuring come in complete kit form, but we are also recommending small-scale cameras that you can add to an existing bird house.
Best bird box cameras at a glance:
With no need for professional installation, all the cameras we're featuring are simple to set up once you have an electrical connection in your outside space, and, in the case of the Wi-Fi-enabled cameras, ensure you situate the boxes within the recommended distance range. Whether you want to encourage tits, finches, robins, nuthatches, or even sparrows to roost in your garden, take a look through our selection of bird box cameras to find the perfect nest-viewing solution to suit you.
Best bird box cameras
Best overall bird box camera
Green Feathers This Green Feathers option is pricier than many in our buying guide, but you get absolutely everything you need to create a comprehensive bird box camera set-up, making it a great gift. The pack includes a 1080p HD Wi-Fi-enabled camera, a handmade wooden bird box, a microSD card, an LED lamp, and a power extension cable. The kit also includes two stainless steel protective plates for the bird box's opening.
If you download the official Green Feathers app, you can watch live or recorded footage of any nesting birds using an iOS or Android device. The camera has a wide, 103-degree angle lens for great visibility and is equipped with an invisible IR sensor to activate special LEDs to give you night vision capabilities.
Pros
- Everything you need to set up a wireless nest cam
- Comes with two different sized stainless steel protective plates
Cons
- You will need a device that runs iOS 11.0 or later or Android 6.0 or later
Best solar-powered bird box camera
RSPB shopping.rspb.org.uk
You know this kit is going to be a solid solution if it's sold by the RSPB. This is an ideal option for anyone who can't run an electrical connection out to their garden, as it's 100% solar-powered. Reviewers praise the solar panel for effectively offering the camera 24/7 power, allowing you to view and hear bird box action day and night in high-definition daytime footage or via night vision.
The actual nest box features translucent windows to allow for optimum light without allowing predators to see inside. It has a removable front panel and comes with 28mm and 32mm hole protection plates, meaning it can attract a wide range of different garden birds.
Pros
- Built-in motion detector that can be set up to automatically record
- Solar panel has a 2.4 metre cable so you have positioning flexibility
Cons
- The Nestera app has a siren function that you can't disable
Best bird box camera with screen
Green FeathersThis is a fabulous solution for anyone who wants to watch nesting action on a standalone screen, rather than on their television, smartphone, or tablet. The screen measures seven inches and has a rechargable battery so you can take it around the house with you. The compact wireless camera is capable of capturing 1080p HD images with built-in day and nighttime LED lamps for clear visibility.
The camera and screen come pre-paired and can work up to 50 metres apart as long as there are no major obstacles in the way. The screen boasts a built-in memory card slot, offering you an easy way to record footage, and it can support cards up to 128GB. Cards are sold separately.
Pros
- Green Feathers have pre-paired camera and screen for instant set up
- This set up has an impressive range of 50 metres
Cons
- Camera's power cable is only three metres
Best dual bird box camera
Birdfy This solution provides you with not just one, but two birdcams for a dual-view of your bird box. In fact, Birdfy claims this is the world's first smart bird house with dual cameras. You can see birds hatching up close with the camera inside the box, while the outside camera captures the parent birds coming and going. There are 60-degree adjustable lenses, so you can get the perfect viewing angles.
This high-tech bird box camera is solar-powered, and the bamboo box is crafted from FSC-certified wood, so it's an environmentally-friendly choice. The box has a fully-opening magnetic door and a transparent acrylic panel to let light in. This offers full-colour night vision and real-time bird action alerts that are sent to the companion Birdfy app.
Pros
- This camera is solar-powered so runs on renewable energy
- There are two cameras for views inside and outside the box
Cons
- The app's AI bird recognition functionality requires a subscription
Best wired bird box camera
Green FeathersThis is a simple solution designed especially for watching birds nesting and, hopefully, chicks hatching and feeding. It's perfect for anyone not au fait with Wi-Fi connectivity and companion apps, as this is a classic wired bird box camera that sends a feed from the box directly to your television. The camera sits inside the box, and then you run the 20-metre video and power cable to your TV, where it plugs into RCA/phono inputs to send the signal to your set.
This means it offers a solid connection without the need to worry about the Wi-Fi dropping out, so you can see and hear the box in colour during daylight and, thanks to IR technology, through night vision when it's dark. Reviewers report being pleased with the image quality and love the ability to get such an up-close view of avian action.
Pros
- The wired design ensures a steady connection 24/7
- There's an infrared sensor for night time viewing
Cons
- Live-stream only, there are no recording capabilities
Best side view bird box camera
Green Feathers This is another complete kit from Green Feathers but with the twist that is contains a bird box specially designed to allow a side view inside the box. As well as the handmade box, the kit contains a 1080p Wi-Fi-enabled camera, an LED lamp, a microSD card, and a power extension cable.
The footage captured by the wide-angle lens, both day and night, is viewable on the free companion app, available for both iOS and Android. Reviewers praise this kit for being easy to set up, especially thanks to the voice prompts the camera offers with helpful instructions.
Pros
- Camera gives you voice prompts to assist with set up
- Audio feed enables you to hear bird sounds inside the box
Cons
- This is not a solar-powered solution
How we chose the best bird box cameras
All of these bird box cameras have been hand-selected by our team of Modern Gardens shopping experts. We carefully considered the design, tech spec, and footage delivery method in our selection of the best. Our team has spent hours investigating and researching all types of nest cams to make it easier for you to find the very best, and we'd never recommend a product we don't believe in.
Where possible, we also test and share the latest and best products you should know about. And with help from Modern Gardens Magazine, Garden News, and Garden Answers, we share expert gardening knowledge to help you get the most from your product.
FAQs: What to consider when setting up your bird nest box camera
Where should I place a bird nest box with a camera?
Grab your compass out because bird nest boxes shouldn't be placed in a south-facing position in case of overheating in warm weather. West-facing is also a no-no, as that's the most common direction for wind and rain. Between north and east is the ideal direction for your box to face. How far above the ground you place your bird house depends on what kind of avians you're trying to attract. Boxes for robins and wrens should be 1.5 to two metres high, but sparrows and tits are happy up to four metres from the ground. If you're installing a solar-powered bird nest box camera, you need to consider where you can place the solar panel so that the cable reaches the box and gets maximum sunlight, just as you would with solar-powered garden lights.
Why do bird boxes come with different-sized entry holes?
Some of the bird boxes we've featured come with different-sized stainless steel plates to fix around the entrance hole and removable front sections. This is because due to safety concerns about predators and shelter worries about the weather, different birds prefer different-sized nest boxes and entrance holes. Smaller birds prefer a hole they can squeeze through. A 28mm hole size should attract wrens, blue, coal, and marsh tits, and tree sparrows. House sparrows, great tits, and nuthatches like an entrance around 32mm. Robins, blackbirds, and thrushes prefer nest boxes with an open-fronted top section.
Do I need to add nesting materials?
It's not essential to add nesting materials to a nest box, as birds are pretty good at creating their own indoor sanctuary. However, you may want to consider placing small sticks and straw in an accessible place for the birds to easily gather. If you have access to any untreated sheep's wool, hanging this close to the box may mean birds can tease out small amounts to make their nests warm and cosy. Having a regular food source within your garden on a bird table or a bird feeder is always a good idea to try and attract birds to the vicinity of your bird box.
What's the best way to maintain a bird nest box with a camera?
Wooden boxes will need treating with a non-toxic protective coating usually once a year. The best time to take your bird nest box down to give the camera a wipe over, clean the inside, and treat the outside is at the end of the breeding season, so from October. Never disturb a box that birds are actively nesting in, if unhatched eggs are inside, you could actually be breaking the law.
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Amy-Mae Turner is a Commerce Content Writer for Modern Gardens, Yours, Take A Break Pets, and A Modern Kitchen. When she's not pottering in the garden or mucking around in the kitchen, she can be found having doggy cuddles with her two beloved cockapoochis.