The future of connecting with nature is something you’re already doing

If a bird TikTok or Facebook Reel has ever stopped your scroll, even for a second, you’re already a part of a community that you never realized. Bird watching has evolved from carrying binoculars to window-watching and now being tucked in our back pockets.

Birdfy, the company behind our favorite smart bird feeder, analyzed activity across its U.S. smart birding community, against the backdrop of more than one million Birdfy devices sold globally in a new insights report: Birdfy U.S. Birdwatching Insights Report 2026: A Million Devices, One Portrait of Nature.

They found that most people’s relationship with wildlife now starts with these gadgets, not in a park or reserve. And, despite what you may think, it counts for something real…and you don’t even need one yourself to participate.

What stuck out in Birdfy’s report

The number that stopped us

We expected to read that birds are more active than most people realize, but not quite 66 visits per second. That figure comes from numbers collected across one million smart bird cameras nationwide, around the clock.

Why care? You might think you don’t live in an area interesting enough for birds to visit, but the reality is that they’re basically everywhere. Not just in parks or nature reserves, but yes, right in your backyard.

And, interestingly, which birds show up seems to depend on where you live: east of the Rockies, the Northern Cardinal dominates sightings, while west of the Rockies, the House Finch takes the lead. And when you add a bird feeder, they’re even more attracted to your space.

You’re missing out on more than you think

You absolutely don’t need a backyard bird camera to reap the benefits of bird watching, but Birdfy was able to grab another surprising statistic. More than 63 million visits arrived before 6 a.m., and odds are you probably aren’t up that early every day.

Northern Cardinals are known to be the first (and last) visitors to the feeder each day, so if you’ve ever thought you’ve never had them stop by, it may be that you’re like ships passing in the night. Who knew you could experience FOMO with little red birds?

The part that gets everyone involved

It’s one thing to just see the birds that stop by, but smart feeders let you see them up close and personal and save pictures and videos. Birdfy’s report found that sharing footage jumped threefold in the past year, likely because it’s so easy and enjoyable.

Who doesn’t want to see the silly molting Robins in the springtime, the obnoxious Blue Jays hoarding all the peanuts, or the squirrels wreaking havoc on the whole crew? It’s an addicting sight, whether you’re the owner of the camera, someone in the family has one, or you see the videos on social media.

And that’s how you become involved without even trying. Before you know it, you’re paying attention to the types of birds, pointing out what birds need—or don’t—from humans, and maybe even spreading the word for things like keeping feeders clean. Read the full Birdfy U.S. Birdwatching Insights Report 2026 here.