Trail cameras can capture photos of backyard wildlife – but a new tiny backyard camera wants to level up wildlife scouting by tracking data on how often and when different species visit. Behold Cam-1 is a small outdoor camera that tracks wildlife, discards footage of people for privacy and lasts for weeks on one charge.
Like many Wi-Fi-connected wildlife cameras, the Behold Cam-1 will send footage of backyard wildlife to a smartphone. But the upcoming camera will also track those visits, keeping note of statistics like how often an animal visits and whether those visits are more or fewer than the previous week.
Those backyard statistics remind me a bit of data from a smart watch, only for tallying the number of creatures rather than calories.
The Behold Cam-1 is able to track that data using on-device AI-based species recognition. The camera is capable of recognizing more than 2,000 different species that are common in North America and Europe.
While Wi-Fi is required for that footage and insight to be sent directly to a smartphone, the camera is also capable of storing footage locally, enabling it to be used outside Wi-Fi range or during an internet outage.
The Behold Cam-1 itself is a 2K camera with a 60° field of view packaged inside an orange camera body. It captures videos at up to 60fps and also includes infrared night vision and a mic for capturing sound. The device shares 15-second clips of the wildlife and can crop in to track the creature’s motion in portrait format.
That orange color of the camera is intentional, designed to make it easy to see by humans, but not as obvious to animals. The camera measures 80mm / 3.15 inches on its longest sides, with a built-in kickstand that also doubles as a handle. The camera also comes bundled with a cone-shaped stand and a bungee cord, allowing the device to move around the yard without tools.
The camera is IP65 rated to withstand the weather. Battery life will vary based on the number of animal sightings, but the company says most users will get between two to four weeks on one charge. The camera still works when plugged in via USB-C, so a wired setup is also possible.
Along with sending data to a smartphone, Cam-1 users can also opt in to anonymously share data on the backyard visitors with ecologists and researchers by adding the data to an open biodiversity database. The app will also have a sharing option to invite friends to watch the backyard wildlife.
Using the camera won’t require a subscription, the company says, but users can unlock deeper insights with a Behold Pro subscription.
The Behold Cam-1 is launching on Kickstarter, where the campaign has already exceeded its initial goal in a matter of hours. Early backers can pick up the Cam-1 for $227 / £170 / AU$349, pending successful completion of the campaign and final stages of development and manufacturing. That’s a 35 percent discount from the expected retail price.
The startup estimates that the camera will begin shipping to backers in June 2026, with shipping available to the US, UK, Canada, and the EU.
Editor's note: As with all crowdfunding projects, there is no guarantee that the final product will match the early depictions in the campaign – or that the final product will be completed or delivered at all. DCW does not endorse this or any other crowdfunding campaign.
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