I don"t know if there"s any scientific proof of this, and it may just be with people I know in my circle of friends, but it seems like as people get older, they get more interested in birds. In our younger days, Gen X would play Nintendo and watch movies, but we were usually found outside until the street lights came on. Maybe it"s that combination of consumer technology and "touching grass," as they say, that makes my generation more likely to get into birds. Whether it"s because life starts to slow down and you can appreciate the smaller things, you have more patience as you get older, or you just have more interest in nature in general, it seems to be a common trend that I"ve noticed.
When Harymor reached out and asked if I"d like to review their Q8 Smart Bird Feeder, a product that bridged the gap between technology and nature, I took them up on the offer. My friend, AJ Zeppenfeld, had recently installed a hummingbird feeder with a built-in camera, so I worked with him to get the Q8 Smart Bird Feeder set up to add to his backyard avian sanctuary.
Specifications
The Harymor Q8 Smart Bird Feeder boasts a 2K resolution camera with a 120° wide-angle lens and infrared for both day and night viewing. It"s powered by a 5200mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which conveniently charges via a 1.5W built-in solar panel. For overcast days or high-traffic bird zones, an optional 3W external solar panel provides additional power through a USB-C port. Constructed from high-grade ABS plastic, the feeder’s 2-liter seed container is IP65 waterproof and features a sloped roof to help deter unwanted guests. A detachable tray allows for easy refilling and cleaning.
| Camera | 2k, 120° field of view, night vision |
| Battery | 5200mAh rechargeable lithium-ion |
| Solar Panels | 1x1.5W (built-in), 1x3W (external, optional) |
| WiFi | 2.4 GhZ |
| Storage | microSD, up to 128GB (optional, not included) |
| Bird Food Capacity | 2 liters, IP65 waterproof |
| Dimensions | 10.2 x 8.7 x 8.3 inches / 25.9 x 22.1 x 21.1 cm |
One thing to note is that previous editions of this device utilized a 1080p camera, while the new release now has a 2K camera for better video quality.
Its advanced AI, integrated with the VicoHome app (compatible with iOS 9.0+ and Android 5.0+), identifies over 10,000 bird species with 90%+ accuracy, sending notifications to your mobile device when a bird is identified. Users can store the video online or locally on a microSD memory card, and the feeder supports up to 128GB cards. There"s also a two-way audio system with a built-in microphone and speaker. The device comes with both a wall bracket and an adjustable tree strap, allowing you multiple ways to mount the device.
Below is AJ"s feedback on the installation and detections of the Q8 Harymor Smart Bird Feeder.
Installation
After receiving the neatly (and safely) packaged product, the first order of business was connecting the camera to a USB for its initial charge, downloading the VicoHome app, and then deciding how and where to install it outside.
Harymor offers flexibility with either a bracket mount or a tree mount. While I was debating the merits of one over the other, I came across the concept of using a bird feeder pole (not included). Since the trees in my backyard have been growing like crazy and I wanted to make sure the solar panels had full sunlight, I figured this would be a great way to make the feeder mobile. Once I found the right spot in the yard and got a feel for the solar panels, I’d then find a more permanent spot.
I was a bit hasty choosing the pole and, as a result, didn"t ensure it paired well with the Harymor bracket. This was remedied in short order by using a short 2x4 to connect the two. This also gave me a convenient way to attach the extra solar panel right on top of the wood. (No one will ever accuse me of being Bob Villa, but I do have my moments.)
Wondering how many curious pairs of creature eyes might be observing me among the trees and skies, I was now ready for the final step before cranking over the juice to see if the Frankenstein monster would awaken: the bird food! All boxes checked, I returned to the house, opened up the app, and the first images from the live feed showed up on my phone.
Detections
A few weeks prior to putting up the Harymor Q8 Smart Bird Feeder, I installed a plastic hummingbird feeder outside a kitchen window near a security camera so I could keep tabs on it. It can take hummingbirds a week or two to find a new feeder, so I wasn’t expecting any notifications from the VicoHome app right away.
I can’t even remember what I was doing when it happened, but less than 30 minutes later, a notification alerted me on my phone—it was a bird! And not just any bird, but a beautiful, bright red Cardinal!
Depending on who you ask and/or believe, Cardinals can have special meaning attached to their presence, so I couldn’t help but consider the identity of this first visitor a bit special. Thanks to the AI bird identification feature, I was able to determine this wasn’t just any Cardinal, but a Northern Cardinal. Northern Cardinals are known to pair up with a mate and stick together for the long haul. They do just about everything together, including foraging neighborhood video AI bird feeders for some grub. And sure enough, not long after this beautiful fella christened my new gadget, a female Northern Cardinal happened along. I named them Bonnie and Clyde.
During the first week after going live, I received visits from quite a variety of birds. The VicoHome app does a very nice job of not only notifying you of each individual video clip as they are recorded, but also maintaining an overall summary of the species that have been identified to date.
Around the third day of enjoying myself, I received a VicoHome notification that something truly bizarre had occurred—a "vehicle" had somehow entered my backyard. Here in North Georgia, we do tend to have neighbors who behave unexpectedly from time to time, but this alert seemed highly dubious. I opened up the app and there he was—a fluffy brown squirrel gleefully eating his fill without a care in the world. His rotund physique had apparently taken up so much of the camera angle that the app could only assume an actual automobile had come into frame.
Bowzer the Ravenous, First of His Name, as I have come to affectionately refer to him, had found a way up a thin 6-foot pole and onto the main platform of the feeder. A short time later, when I went outside to get an updated look at things, I was shocked to see that my furry friend had cleaned out nearly the entire stock of seed and treats. This was not easily achieved, as one nice feature of the Harymor is its capacity. Flanking the camera mounting within the feeder on both sides are ample spaces for seed oriented vertically, so as the birds consume what is on the horizontal landing platform, additional stores gradually make their way down and replace it via gravity. This would likely be self-sustaining for a good while if not for the unaccounted-for presence and voracious appetite of squirrels.
Bowzer’s display of gluttony became serendipitous, however, as I realized I had completely overlooked a clever feature of the feeder: the two-way talk speaker. As I was monitoring him on the live feed, I activated the microphone and abruptly and somewhat loudly proclaimed the very first thing that came into my mind, "…SIR, DO YOU HAVE A MINUTE TO DISCUSS YOUR HOME AND AUTO WARRANTY COVERAGE!?" Amidst a dust-up of seed and water, Bowzer was spooked and skedaddled off, never to be heard from again. In other words, he was back about thirty minutes later. Repeated attempts to discuss his insurance and other financials became less and less effective, and in that moment, I became soberingly empathetic of Carl Spackler (iconically played by Bill Murray in the film "Caddyshack") and his escalating battle with his gopher adversary.
As I began strategizing about the next step in my squirrel-thwarting arsenal, once again Harymor came through in a big way—the siren alarm! I waited for Bowzer to again find his way into position, confidently notified him over the speaker that the diner was no longer serving his kind here, as if I were the bartender on Mos Eisley repelling Luke Skywalker’s droids from the spaceport cantina, and Bowzer had finally gotten the message. Phew!
This brings us to the final chapter in our backyard drama: the brief tale of Vlad the wandering menace. There"s a neighborhood stray, a sweet orange kitty who visits home after home for a tickle rub and a quick treat. Vlad happened to visit my house around the time I was evaluating the Harymor. Now, as an animal lover, I do want to stress that all the animals are okay, including all the birds, and I do understand that cats and birds are mortal enemies. But just as I was thoroughly enjoying my birdwatching with this feeder, Vlad zeroed in on Clyde, leapt six feet up onto the feeder platform, took a swipe at Clyde, and in one fell swoop, severed the cable to the solar panel and literally brought the entire apparatus crashing down to the ground. And once again, thanks to the Harymor, it’s all captured on video.
Application
The Harymor Q8 Smart Bird Feeder requires an app to view remotely, and instead of building their own, the company decided to partner with VicoHome. Configuration is straightforward: Download the app, set the bird feeder to pairing mode, click the "add" button in the app, choose the 2.4GHz WiFi SSID you want the camera to connect to, and you"re done. The usual caveats about IoT devices are in effect: If possible, segregate it onto a separate network so that it can"t communicate with other network devices in your home. While there"s no indication the device was doing anything nefarious, the Harymor brand itself is not very well known.
Unfortunately, while this lets you watch the birds for free, you aren"t able to use the AI functionality to identify birds without paying for a subscription, and the subscription options are confusing. There are six pages of options covering every option from "basic plan" to "Plus" to "Gen2", and then there are also options for multiple devices and multiple years. It should be organized much better, but if you subscribe, it looks like the cost will be $2.99/month for 3GB/15 days of storage or $4.99/month for 5GB/30 days of storage. The price is $31.99/$49.99, respectively, for the one-year subscription, and they all include AI functionality. Without subscribing, you receive 1GB/3 days of storage and no AI functionality.
If you want a poor-man"s workaround to the lack of AI in the free tier, you could always simply upload photos from the Q8 Smart Bird Feeder directly into the Cornell Lab Merlin Bird ID app. It"d be an extra step, but, honestly, after identifying the first dozen birds in my yard, I rarely see new species anymore. In addition, if you love birds, you probably already have the app, as it also lets you identify them based on their sounds.
Positives
Overall, the Harymor Q8 Smart Bird Feeder works extremely well. I really enjoyed how easy the initial setup was, as well as getting it installed in the yard.
The other feature I want to highlight is the built-in solar panel. I was concerned that, with a lot of detections, the battery might drain relatively quickly. That turned out not to be the case. It had no trouble staying near 100% when I had both the built-in 1.5W solar panel and the optional 3W solar panel installed. However, even after Vlad the wandering menace severed the cable that connected the 3W panel, the battery stayed near 100% on a relatively overcast day. Living in Georgia, I receive more sun than most of the country, but based on this, I think you"ll be fine regardless of where you live.
Issues and Limitations
For the most part, everything works as expected, but there were a couple of interesting issues I ran into during the review.
The main issue is the fact that, while this is advertised as an AI-powered device, you can"t unlock that functionality without a subscription to the VicoHome app. When paying $150 for a bird feeder, it should at least include a six-month trial subscription, but unfortunately, it doesn"t. Halycor provided me with a one month trial, and I understand practically everything is undergoing a subscription model now, but it was still disappointing to have to spend almost $5/month to take advantage of all of the functionality of the device.
You"ll also note that earlier, I noted a 90% accuracy rate with the AI. While in my case, I"d estimate that the accuracy was higher, it was definitely not 100%, especially when it identified a squirrel as a vehicle. That said, overall,l I think it did as well as can be expected given the current state of AI.
Finally, remember that the device only utilizes 2.4GHz WiFi. While this is common for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and the camera won"t come close to saturating the bandwidth of that wireless range, some WiFi routers need to have that band manually turned on in the settings to work.
Conclusion
Most of the birds in my area are relatively common, so I didn"t have much issue with the AI identification, but it wasn"t 100% as noted earlier. I"m disappointed that there"s no free trial for the AI functionality, but the video quality is very good, the battery life seems to go on forever with the help of the solar panels, and the wireless connectivity was great. You might want to try protecting the food store from non-birds by either keeping the Q8 Smart Bird Feeder higher off the ground or installing anti-squirrel baffles on the pole, but overall, that isn"t a fault or function of the bird feeder but rather your installation.
If you"re at all interested in what feathered friends you have in your neighborhood, the Harymor Q8 Smart Bird Feeder is a great tool. While you could try to build your own and use a camera like the Ubiquiti G6 Instant connected to solar panels, the ease of use of the Q8 is probably worth your time. If you have friends of family who are interested in birds, or want to teach your children, this would also be a good option. Overall, I truly enjoyed my time with it. If you want the Harymor Q8 Smart Bird Feeder for yourself, it"s available on Amazon for $149.99.
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