This Smart Bird Feeder Camera can now detect bees, butterflies and blooming flowers

Bird Buddy, the smart bird feeder that lets you capture every awesome moment of nature happened in your backyard, is expanding beyond the romance of birds and squirrels. At CES 2025, Bird Buddy announced that it will expand its product line under a new brand called Wonder. In addition to the existing Bird Buddy device, which remains a flagship product, Wonder is launching two new products: the Petal, a “biomorphic” camera that captures more of what’s happening in the garden, and Wonder Blocks, a modular system that allows you to build the type of wildlife habitat you hope to attract to the lens.

The Petal camera gets its name from its shape. It looks a bit like a flower – I guess the butterflies in your garden can’t say otherwise. Its solar panel looks like a leaf, so the camera stays powered without the need for a tether. One of the annoying parts of the first generation Bird Buddy is how often it has to be charged outside of the birdhouse. This is because it is powered entirely by the sun.

Wonder says the Petale is his first “true nature camera” because of how familiar it is. It is built on the same Bird Buddy AI that recognizes animals, although it expands to see more than before. This camera uses AI to “see” biomorphically, so it can identify species as small as bees buzzing around for pollen. It can also tell that a flower is about to open.

The other interesting part of the Petal camera is “Paul Sunshine”, which seems to be the moniker for Wonder’s Natural Intelligence in the Bird Buddy app. This bot will identify who has flown into your garden and if the flowers have bloomed. It will also tell you how many bugs and birds it has seen in a day. It will mark intriguing passers-by – snails, ladybugs – and let you know if someone has feasted on a favorite plant outside.

The Wonder Blocks are the other part of this new product rollout from the creators of Bird Buddy. It’s a modular planter box, for all intents and purposes, and you can add individual pieces like a butterfly feeder or a “bug hotel” to attract new guests. The planter also helps to accommodate the Petal in a camouflaged environment.

The new devices will be available to order on Kickstarter in the spring. Wonder has yet to announce pricing. It is unclear whether these devices will integrate with the original Bird Buddy smart feeder.

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