Recommended Birding Gear

Below are birdwatching gear, supplies, and equipment that I have personally used and recommend.

By the way, OnTheFeeder.com is independent. I research, test, and rate products to help you make the right buying decisions. Sometimes I use affiliate links and may receive a small commission if you make a purchase (at no additional cost to you). Learn more.

Swipe to the right to see the other product categories.

Bird Feeders

Best Overall

Woodlink going green platform feeder

Woodlink Going Green Platform

Best feeder for any species of bird and any type of food. Simply toss onto the food every few days and you can enjoy the widest variety of visitors.

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Best Auto Feeder

auto bird feeder made by Wingscapes

Wingscapes Bird AutoFeeder

This feeder is great for those who go on vacation and worry about feeding the birds or just want better control over how much the birds eat each day.

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Best Tube Style

Droll Yankee tube bird feeder.

Droll Yankees New Generation

This feeder is one of the best standard tube feeders. Keeps food dry and with the optional feed tray, all-size species can comfortably perch.

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Best for Larger Birds

seed tray attachment for tube feeder

Droll Yankees Bird Feeder Tray Attachment

A great addition to the tube feeder it allows for larger sizes of birds to visit.

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Bird Feeder Cameras

Best Overall

Wasserstein bird feeder camera case with bird perched on it

Wasserstein Camera Case

The Wasserstein Bird Feeder Camera Case is the best overall if you want a super close-up view of the birds and/or have an existing *home security system to tie into. *compatible with Blink Outdoor, Wyze Cam v3, Wyze Cam Outdoor, and Ring Stick Up.(Camera sold separately.)

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Best Budget

Blink outdoor wireless camera

Blink security camera

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Best Smart Feeder

netvue birdfy bird feeder camera

Netvue Birdfy Feeder

The Netvue Birdfy AI Smart Feeder is perfect if you want maximum close shots of the birds and a chance to identify the species in either live view or while watching a recorded video.

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Bird Feeder Pole Systems

Read about how I tested 9 bird feeder poles in my yard.

Best Overall

Squirrel Stopper Sequoia

view of bird feeder pole from the bottom looking up showing 4 bird feeders
View on JCS Wildlife
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Best Heavy Duty

Birdfy Pole Station

view of Birdfy pole looking up showing logo finial

10% off your purchase with Netvue. Coupon code: ONTHEFEEDER

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Best Budget

Feed Garden Deluxe

Feed Garden bird feeder pole system
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2 Best Squirrel Proof

Squirrel Stopper Sequoia

view of bird feeder pole from the bottom looking up showing 4 bird feeders
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Birdfy Pole Station

view of Birdfy pole looking up showing logo finial

10% off your purchase with Netvue. Coupon code: ONTHEFEEDER

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Heated Birdbaths

Best Overall

Songbird essentials heated bird bath

Songbird Essentials

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Best Pedestal

API heated birdbath model 970

API 970

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Best Deck Mounted

API Heated Birdbath deck mounted 20"

API 650

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Best Budget

API heated birdbath with stand model 400

API 400

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Digital Cameras

Best Overall

the best superzoom camera for birding - the nikon p950

Nikon Coolpix P950

The Nikon P950 is the best superzoom camera for the birder who wants extreme zoom capability and great image quality, but in a slightly smaller & lighter body (compared to the Nikon P1000).  

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Best Max Zoom

Nikon Coolpix P1000 superzoom camera for birding

Nikon Coolpix P1000

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 is the best superzoom for maximum zoom capability and amazing image quality – even if the camera is a bit larger and heavier than the P950.

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Best for Speed

Sony CyberShot RX10IV Camera

Sony CyberShot RX10IV

The Sony CyberShot RX10IV is the fastest superzoom camera available (24 fps) providing you with a huge variety of great images to choose from with each shot.

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Best Compact

Canon PowerShot SX70 HS superzoom camera for birding

Canon PowerShot SX70

The Canon PowerShot SX70 HS is a compact camera with an impressive optical zoom of 65x.

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Best Budget-Friendly

Panasonic Lumix FZ80 superzoom camera for birding

Panasonic Lumix FZ80

The Panasonic Lumix FZ80 is for birders who want closeups of the birds without breaking the budget. Not available new but we still recommend a used unit.

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Binoculars

Best Overall

swarovski 8.5x42 EL binoculars

Swarovski 8.5×42 EL

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Best Under $2,000

Vortex razor 8x42 binoculars

Vortex Razor 8×42 UHD

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Best Under $1,000

Maven ED 8x42 Binoculars

Maven ED 8×42

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Best Under $500

ZEISS Terra ED 10x42 Binoculars

ZEISS Terra ED 10×42

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Best Budget-Friendly

nikon prostaff 3x 8x42 binoculars

Nikon PROSTAFF 3S 8×42

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Field Guides

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern & Central North America

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national geographic bird guide

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America

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