Technology

This $30 Outdoor Camera Helped Me Start Birdwatching

FOR THE BIRDS

The Wyze Indoor/Outdoor Camera is easy to set up, affordable, and lets me keep track of my feathered friends no matter what.

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Photo Illustration: Scouted/The Daily Beast/Amazon

Scouting Report: The Wyze Cam v3 1080p HD Indoor/Outdoor Video Camera is the perfect video camera for beginner and avid birders alike.

It feels like practically everyone around me has gotten into birdwatching. It makes sense — being stuck inside at home gives people plenty of time to observe their surroundings, including the wildlife among them. But living in an apartment that’s boxed in by many other apartments means binoculars can veer quickly into creeper territory. So, instead of spying on the neighborhood, I can spy on just the birds visiting the feeders using the Wyze Cam v3 1080p HD Indoor/Outdoor Video Camera.

Wyze Cam v3 1080p HD Indoor/Outdoor Video Camera

Unlike other outdoor cameras that evoke deer romping through the woods or bears trotting through bushes, this camera is less about hunting and more about, well, watching. I’ve used Wyze as my home security camera ever since the brand launched. They provide incredible clarity for a camera that’s under $30. The new Indoor/Outdoor camera features a water-resistant cord that can easily be installed on a window sill or outer wall. The upgraded night vision specs give you full-color night vision in settings up to 25x darker than a traditional security camera, with 1080p video. It comes with free 14-day rolling cloud storage (which can be expanded if you buy a microSD card), 24/7 continuous recording, and two-way audio in case you want to talk to the birds as much as listen. You can set up motion and sound detection to receive alerts, which works well for watching when birds land close by. It even works with Alexa or Google Assistant, so you can keep track no matter where you.

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So far, I’ve seen many different kinds of sparrows, cardinals, bluejays, mourning doves, and a downy woodpecker, all right outside my Brooklyn window. This camera has helped bring the outside in when going outside wasn’t an option.

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