Birdkiss S1 All

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The Birdkiss S1 Smart Bird Feeder is a new Kickstarter crowdfunding project. It’s an all-metal smart bird feeder that keeps squirrels from eating all the bird seed and records high-quality video. Its AI is inconsistent but does a decent job identifying the birds that visit.

Bird lovers looking for a new bird feeder, take a look at the Birdkiss S1 Smart Bird Feeder. This brand-new bird feeder featuring smart technology and squirrel resistance begins shipping in November 2023 — just in time for the holidays. Early supporters can save money and have a fantastic holiday gift all ready to go.

It takes advantage of a smart camera and some pretty clever design features. And, if you’ve had trouble with squirrels or chipmunks, this bird feeder should help deter the fluffy little birdseed pirates.

©Press kit photo – License

The Birdkiss S1 Smart Bird Feeder came well packed in a cardboard box with foam cushioning for all the components. Everything arrived in perfect condition.

As we happily unpacked the Birdkiss S1, the first thing we noticed was the substantial feel of it. The all-metal construction gives it a sturdiness that implies a long product lifespan.

The kit comes with everything you need except for birdseed and treats! Here’s what’s in the package:

Assembly is minimal. It took longer to charge the camera than it did to get everything else ready. With that in mind, you could plug it in to charge while adding any extras you’d like to use.

The port has a thick silicone gasket, making it difficult to plug in. However, given the outdoorsy lifestyle the Birdkiss S1 will be living, it’s worth a bit of work to wiggle it into the charging port.

If you have the space to work near the outlet, add the bird perch, suet cage, and any additional modules you plan to use.

While you’re waiting for the camera to charge, download the free VicoHome app, available for Apple and Android — and take a few moments to read the manual. Unlike other installation manuals, the company spent a little more on printing the manual with a larger font. So, you won’t need a microscope to read them — and they’re clearly written.

The camera setup was easy. VicoHome’s app quickly located and connected it to our home’s wifi. In-app settings are straightforward, and customizing is also fast.

VicoHome app has several subscription options for cloud storage — Free, Basic, Plus, and Pro. All of the paid subscriptions have access to Bird Fans for help identifying the birds visiting your bird feeder.

The settings are straightforward and include a few things that aren’t needed for bird watching but are nice. In addition to alerts for birds, the app offers alerts for specific vehicles, package delivery, animals like pets, and people. The default recording time is 10 seconds, but you can increase the length to 20 seconds and adjust the cooldown time between recordings.

I placed ours in a crepe myrtle that harbors birdseed pirates to test the squirrel-deterrent effectiveness. To mount the Birdkiss S1, we used the included thick velcro strap, which was more than up to the task. Within a day, the squirrels had found the Birdkiss S1 Smart Bird Feeder and went to town on the treats left in the jelly tray.

However, they were less able to get to the seeds in the bird feeder’s tray. The grill that covers the seed tray works great! Is it perfect? No. A very determined squirrel could get its little fingers in there and pick at what it could reach. And, if you have the jelly tray, they could eat from there. However, they won’t be eating all your birdseed anymore and cannot chew through it unless they have steel teeth.

©Press photo – License

The camera in the Birdkiss S1 has a 5,000 mAh rechargeable battery and a 3W solar panel to keep it topped up. It’s a capable piece of equipment that records video in 1080P HD or SD for bird-watching enjoyment. It also offers night vision and color nighttime videos by adjusting a setting that turns on a small light when the camera detects motion at night.

I first set it up without the solar panel to test the battery’s longevity. After a week of running 20-second videos in HD and being triggered by squirrels and dogs, the battery was still at 48%.

The battery held a solid charge, so it was time to test the solar panel. While some smart bird feeders have solar panels built into the roof, the Birdkiss S1’s solar panel is separate. Although that could be seen as a negative, I like the flexibility it offers. Having a separate solar panel with a long cable, like the Birdkiss S1 solar panel, makes it possible to place the panel in a sunnier location while leaving the bird feeder in the shade.

After plugging the panel’s cable into the charging port on the back of the Birdkiss S1, I left the setup under a mulberry tree that offered morning sun with dappled shade in the afternoon. Over the next couple of days, the battery indicator showed that it increased by several percent, up to 52%, showing its value in keeping the Birdkiss S1 battery from draining. So, it isn’t a fast charge but a consistent one.

©press photo – License

We love being able to select the notifications we want to receive. The fact the camera was originally designed for home security gives it more application than just bird watching. The notifications include pets, packages, and vehicles. We were easily able to select which notifications we wanted and which we didn’t.

Paid subscriptions start at $2.99 per month. They include up to 60 days of cloud storage and access to the Bird Fans AI for identification.

If we have a complaint, it’s with Bird Fan AI’s accuracy. It’s hit or miss and sometimes misidentifies moving objects as birds. Part of the issue may be that the Bird Fans AI pulls from 10,000 species worldwide. That’s an astronomical number of data points to manage. A nice upgrade would have it beginning its search with the species within, say, 100 miles of your location. As the saying goes, location, location, location!

©Press Photo – License

The modular design makes taking it apart to clean easy. Just to test out the idea, we disassembled and cleaned the Birdkiss S1. I removed all the parts I could, washed the tray and extra feeders, wiped the inside with a damp towel, and let it dry for a while. It only took about 10 minutes to clean; then I waited another 15-20 minutes to ensure everything was dry before putting fresh birdseed in the hopper.

Like all products, there are great and not-so-great things about the Birdkiss S1 Smart Bird Feeder. Our week and a half with it didn’t show many weaknesses. It’s a solid product. But let’s take a moment and look at the pros and cons of the Birdkiss S1 Smart Bird Feeder.

At first glance, the early bird Kickstarter price of $189 seems a little steep for a bird feeder. However, that’s right in line with the cost of other smart bird feeders on the market. Plus, the all-metal construction makes it better than most competitors, and many of those competitors have open seed trays that allow the squirrels free access. The smart camera, cloud storage, solar power, and squirrel resistance make the whole package a terrific product.

Although the AI bird identification didn’t quite meet expectations, it doesn’t detract from the Birdkiss S1’s overall quality. In addition, the company is aware of the AI shortcomings, which they’re working hard to address.

Note: I received the Birdkiss S1 Smart Bird Feeder at no charge to offer my honest opinion on the product.

I ran it for a week without the solar panel. It was set for 20-second videos and a 30-second cloud cooldown. At the end of that week, it was still around 48% before plugging in the solar panel.

Yes, and the process was easier than with our Tapo-Link cameras. VicoHome’s app is easy to use and has several different settings.

Absolutely! The live video feed is available through the app, and if you have other Vicohome cameras, it’s probably the same app.

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