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Technology
Bethan Girdler-Maslen

This smart camera quietly watches and cares for birds, insects and flowers in your garden

Bird Buddy Wonder Petal.
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Bird Buddy has unveiled its Wonder Petal and Blocks camera and feeding system to Kickstarter.

The Petal camera monitors, detects and records plants and insects, while the Blocks frame nurtures them. Bundles are available to buy on Kickstarter but shipping isn’t expected until mid-2026.

Bird Buddy is adding to its bird feeder camera line-up with the cutest smart camera I’ve ever seen – but it’s not just for birdwatching. The new Bird Buddy Wonder Petal is designed to quietly watch birds, insects and flowers that visit your garden, while the Bird Buddy Wonder Blocks helps nurture them – but you’ll have to wait a while to buy them.

Bird Buddy is better known for its smart bird feeders that feed winged visitors while discreetly filming them for your birdwatching pleasure. My parents have a smart bird feeder, and while I initially thought it was a weird concept, it’s strangely hypnotic to watch all the birds, squirrels and other creatures visiting the garden – and it’s a fun spin on your traditional security camera.

As announced during CES 2025, Bird Buddy is expanding its technology to cater to other winged (and not winged) creatures in your garden. Bird Buddy’s Wonder products can now be seen on Kickstarter, and are part of a ‘broader nature tech ecosystem’ as stated by the brand.

The first initial product in the collection is the Wonder Petal, a solar-powered smart camera with a flexible arm or ‘stem’ that clips onto your plant pot or a frame – more on that later. The 4K 12MP camera quietly watches the different insects and flowers in your garden or in a specific pot or flower bed.

But that’s not all – the Bird Buddy Wonder Petal uses an AI module to identify over 2,000 species and offer tips on how to care for them via the Wonder app. The camera’s AI technology can also detect different events like flowers growing and different insects pollinating and flying.

(Image credit: Bird Buddy)

My favourite feature of the Wonder Petal is its battery life – this might sound boring, but hear me out. While it can last for a month on a single charge, the Petal has a small solar panel attached to it that looks like a leaf! The camera is also customisable, as you can swap out lenses to capture different shots.

Alongside the Petal, Bird Buddy has launched Wonder Blocks which work alongside the camera to nurture the flora and fauna in your garden. Bird Buddy’s Wonder Blocks is described as a ‘modular system’ that creates a smart habitat, featuring a main frame, planters and shelters.

With the Wonder Blocks frame, you can clip the Petal on to it to create a full smart camera and habitat system. Wonder Blocks is designed to care for and attract visitors, and offers water, food and shelter to bees, butterflies, humming birds and other creatures.

I love the idea of the Bird Buddy Wonder collection. Not only is the Petal the cutest camera I’ve ever seen with its leaf and stem design, the Wonder Blocks is a fun concept that allows you to check in on your garden while helping to care for it at the same time – but there’s a slight catch.

Despite the Bird Buddy Wonder collection being available on Kickstarter, shipping isn’t expected to start until mid-2026, so you’ll have to wait a year to get your hands on them. There are bundles up for grabs of the Bird Buddy Wonder line-up with discounts already available, but you can expect to pay £97 / $129 for the Wonder Petal and £225 / $299 for the Wonder Block.

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