Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera Case review

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).

Image 1 of 3

Installing first the Blink Outdoor camera and then the Ring Stick-Up Cam in the case was straightforward, and took less than a minute – 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 need to remove the roof first. 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, although I wasn’t expecting much hummingbird action in South London, UK. 

As for how good the camera is, it depends on which one you're using, and on its app. I've used Ring devices for a few years, so I was able to pop my Ring Stick Up Camera into the case and quickly set it up. 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, which needs to be plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi, but it also has a USB socket that can be used with a USB flash drive to save the footage locally. If you want your footage to be stored in the cloud you'll need to sign up to your brand's subscription plan if you haven't already. 

Both cameras work as you would expect. You get an alert when the camera detects motion, and you'll need to fine-tune this setting to adjust the sensitivity so that you aren't inundated with notifications every time a branch within the camera's field of view is caught by the wind. 

One thing that's worth noting is that these security cameras are set up to record people who are standing a little way back from the camera, and while they have a wide angle of view and can focus on subjects reasonably close to the lens, birds landing on the feeder case will very close to the camera. I found that when using the Ring Stick Up camera birds slightly out of focus; the Blink Outdoor camera was a little better, although birds still weren't perfectly sharp. This isn't a huge issue, as bird feeder cameras are designed for monitoring and casual sharing, not for capturing high-quality footage; however, if you want to maximize quality, I recommend the Blink Outdoor camera. 

All cameras compatible with the Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera case are designed to be used outdoors and are weatherproof, and the case offers additional protection. 

Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera Case videos samples with the Blink security camera

Compared to the dedicated bird feeders with built-in cameras, the big downside here is that you don’t get any AI bird recognition features. So, for example, you won’t receive notifications that a robin has just landed on your feeder; instead, you'll simply be told that motion has been detected, so it's worth making sure that you name your camera appropriately, to avoid unnecessary alarm being caused by motion alerts.

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?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

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