Is my bird feeder camera harming wildlife? Here’s why I’ll be more selective with my choices in the future

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Bird feeder cameras aren’t the problem, specifically, but the RSPB is looking into whether certain types of bird feeder could present problems for some feathery visitors

Green Feathers Wired Network Bird Box & Wildlife HD Camera product image
Green Feathers produces bird feeder cameras that mount separately so you can film your choice of bird feeder (Image credit: Green Feathers)

I don’t just love wildlife photography, I love wildlife in general, a passion I share with the vast majority of outdoorsy photographers, I'm sure. With that in mind, bird feeder cameras are a fantastic way of engaging in both hobbies from the comfort of your own home. But I’m now thinking harder about how I feed my feathery friends, following The UK’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ (RSPB) decision to stop selling flat bird feeders for fear of perpetuating deadly avion diseases, with a particular concern for finches.

The RSPB website currently states: “As a precautionary measure, whilst we await the findings of the review, we have suspended all our bird tables and related products, Table mix and Table mix extra, window feeders and feeder guardians with trays, from sale. This is because there is evidence to suggest that some birds, particularly finches, can be more exposed to disease when fed on flat surfaces like these.”

Green Feathers WiFi Bird Feeder HD Camera Pack product image

A setup like this allows you to film birds using your choice of bird feeder (Image credit: Green Feathers)

A quick look at the best bird feeder cameras reveals that a lot of them do use trays. However, Green Feathers produces a range of standalone cameras that can be mounted onto your desired surface. This means you can use the camera to frame a bird feeder that doesn't feature a tray and you're good to go. The WiFi Bird Feeder HD Camera Pack (pictured) comes with a mount for both camera and feeder. It is worth pointing out that the included feeder has a small tray, but you could easily swap this out and mount one without a flat base.

It should be noted that the RSPB has not definitively condemned bird feeders with trays/flat bases, it is reviewing their suitability. I’ll be keeping my ear to the ground and will provide an update as and when the RSPB’s findings come to light.

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Mike Harris
Mike Harris
How To Editor

Mike is Digital Camera World's How To Editor. He has over a decade of experience, writing for some of the biggest specialist publications including Digital Camera, Digital Photographer and PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine. Prior to DCW, Mike was Deputy Editor of N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine and Production Editor at Wex Photo Video, where he sharpened his skills in both the stills and videography spheres. While he's an avid motorsport photographer, his skills extend to every genre of photography – making him one of Digital Camera World's top tutors for techniques on cameras, lenses, tripods, filters and other imaging equipment – as well as sharing his expertise on shooting everything from portraits and landscapes to abstracts and architecture to wildlife and, yes, fast things going around race tracks...

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