Weatherproofing Live Bird Cams

Positioning Web Cams

The positioning and placement of your web cam is important to maximize your bird watching experience. Obviously bird cams should be aligned in such a way as to view the entire bird feeder or bird bath but also consider how the sun's movement in the sky will affect the image. You don't want your web cam "looking" right into the bright afternoon sun. Try to get as near to the feeder or bird bath as possible. The birds may need a day or two to get used to this strange new object in their environment, but most species will quickly learn to ignore the presence of a bird web cam.

Popular Brands Of Web Cams Used For Backyard Bird Watching

Two systems that would make excellent bird cams are the Linksys Wireless-G PTZ Internet Camera with Audio WVC200 and the various wired outdoor cameras available from X10. The Linksys camera provides a 2x digital zoom and is capable of transmitting video and audio data to your hard drive. Moreover, it is equipped with an integrated web server for remote access. It enables you to focus through the pan/tilt zoom function and can also be fitted with an infrared filter to see images in the dark. The wired outdoor cameras from X10 are sturdy and weatherproof with high quality lenses and a range of add-on accessories.

Birding On The Internet

To get a sense of live bird cams in action, visit The Birdhouse Network at www.birds.cornell.edu. Such online bird observatories allow web viewers to see a range of species from hawks, barn owls, bluebirds and eagles to simple backyard sparrows or the famous Peregrine falcons visible through the Kodak bird cam. Bird watching cam streaming has become so popular that live bird cams and live web cam birds are now part of the online world.