subject: Bird Box Cameras for Viewing Wild Birds [print this page] Bird Box Cameras for Viewing Wild Birds Bird Box Cameras for Viewing Wild Birds
Bird Box Cameras use the latest miniature camera technologyto place a camera inside a Bird Box or Animal Nest Box and study wildlife unobtrusively. We can now watch and listen, from the first time a parent bird visits, looking for a suitable site to build its nest, to laying it's eggs and rearing it's young. Then watch in awe as the chicks fledge and leave the nest for the first time. With the popularity of programs such as Springwatch and Autumnwatch on television, in the UK, which have brought us closer to the natural lifecycle of birds and animals than ever before, nature watching has become a national pastime.
Nest box cameras are available in black and white or colour and with infrared technology for viewing 24 hours a day. They can also be supplied with wires or wireless for remote viewing and can be connected to a TV or a computer. Typically Colour models produce better pictures and are not a lot more expensive than black and white. There are pros and cons for using wireless or wired models: although wireless technology is improving all the time, the signal is generally better with a wired camera. Wired cameras can be simple to set up and are simply "plug and play" but the wires have to run somewhere and may limit the places you can place the nest box. Also there is the possibility of having to drill a hole through the wall of the house to run the wire to the television.
Most companies supplying cameras for bird boxes will fit them into any suitable nesting box, whether it's a small 25mm entrance hole version for a Blue Tit, an open fronted design for Robins and Wrens or even a Hedgehog House.
A nest box can be put up at any time of year but if you put it in place by February you stand a good chance of it being occupied by Spring (In the UK). If they are in place by winter, then some birds will use them to roost and as a shelter and will then use them for nesting in Spring.
A Bird nest box should be sited in a quiet area of the garden and at least 1.5m off the ground to deter predators. They can be placed on a tree, pole, fence or building, but the area should be sheltered from the worst of the weather and prevailing winds and in a place that is not sunny all day long.
More information can be found at Bird Box Cameras.
