Who's at the feeder?
A live camera on our bird feeder in Ireland. Feed the birds and watch who turns up.
Checking the feeder…
How feeding works.
One small portion.
Every euro drops one portion of seed onto the tray, live on camera.
Seed first. The rest to BirdWatch Ireland.
We keep only what the seed costs. The rest goes to BirdWatch Ireland every month, and we post the totals.
Daylight only.
Feeding stops at night, is capped every day, and pauses if disease is reported nearby.
Feeding birds. Without spreading disease.
A school science project from the west of Ireland.
Feeders bring birds close. But a tray that's always full gathers crowds of birds on the same dirty surface. That's how trichomonosis spreads, a deadly finch disease passed on through shared food and water.
fewer breeding and wintering Greenfinch in Ireland since 2005.
fewer Greenfinch garden visits than ten years ago.
drop in Chaffinch garden visits.
What we're testing.
Can small, watched portions be safe?
In 2026 BirdWatch Ireland advised against garden feeders from 1 May to 31 October. Nobody has tested whether portioned, monitored feeding carries the same risk. That's the gap BirdLink looks at: daylight only, capped every day, with a cleaning schedule.
How accurate is the AI?
Every correction shows us where it goes wrong.
Do people get more interested?
A short survey before and after, plus how often people come back.
Can we spot sick birds?
Real cases go to the Irish Garden Bird Survey's sick finch scheme.
Does feeding raise money?
How often people give, and how much, when giving also feeds a bird.
Every visitor.
Named by AI and checked by you. Tap a bird to read about it, or tell us if the AI got it wrong.
Add a bird.
Spotted one in your garden or at school? Send a photo or a short clip, and the AI tells you what it is.
- 1Pick a photo or clip
- 2The AI names your bird
- 3We check it and it joins the bird library
Drag along the strip to the moment the bird is clearest, then press Select this frame. That's the picture the AI looks at.
Questions.
Feeding
How do I feed the birds?
Tap Feed the birds for €1 and pay on Buy Me a Coffee. Every €1 drops one portion of seed onto the tray, live on camera. You can pay for up to 10 portions at once.
I fed the birds, but they didn't show up on the live stream.
Try these three things:
- Make sure you're watching live. Tap LIVE in the corner of the player. If it's grey, you're watching an older moment.
- Check the stream is up to date. On slow Wi-Fi it can fall behind. Reload the page to catch up.
- Missed the moment? Rewind the stream a minute or two to see your seed drop.
Birds come in their own time. Your seed stays on the tray, and every bird that comes for it shows up in Birds.
Why is the feeder asleep or paused?
We follow BirdWatch Ireland's guidance. Feeding stops at night, is capped every day, and pauses if sick birds are reported nearby. If you pay while it's paused, your seed drops at the next safe time.
Where does my money go?
We keep only what the seed costs. The rest goes to BirdWatch Ireland every month, and we post the totals here.
Can I get a refund?
If you paid by mistake or paid twice, email us within 30 days and we'll refund you.
Birds and AI
How does the AI know which bird it is?
When a bird lands, the camera takes a photo and an AI names the species. It can be wrong, so you can tap any bird and suggest the right name. Our team checks every suggestion.
I think a bird looks sick. What do I do?
Tap the bird and choose Does this bird look sick? Our team checks every report, and real cases go to BirdWatch Ireland's Irish Garden Bird Survey. For an injured bird, contact a vet or a wildlife rescue.
Can I add my own bird photos?
Yes. Go to Add a bird and send a photo or a short clip. The AI tells you what it is, and you choose whether everyone can see it or only you.
You and your data
What do you keep about me?
No accounts, names or emails, and no IP addresses. If you say OK, your browser keeps a random code so we can tell when someone comes back. The same code links your two surveys and your photos, and blocks a device that keeps sending junk. You can delete it all on the Privacy page.
Can the camera see people?
It points at the tray. Only frames where the AI sees a bird are shown on this site. Everything else stays on our own computer.
What happens to photos I send?
A person checks each one before anyone else can see it. Photos with people in them are never shown.
The project
Who made BirdLink?
Ivan and Rian, for the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2027, with Coláiste Bhaile Chláir (Claregalway College). It's a beta, so things may still change.
Sources
- BirdWatch Ireland (2026). New Guidance for Feeding Garden Birds.
- BirdWatch Ireland. Irish Garden Bird Survey.
- BirdWatch Ireland. Trichomonosis (sick finches).
- Hanmer, H.J. et al. Habitat-use influences severe disease-mediated population declines in two of the most common garden bird species in Great Britain.
Still have questions?
Write to us. We usually answer within a couple of days.
Email us team.birdlink@gmail.comTeam.
Everything that's waiting for a decision. Only devices with the console token see this page.
Live view
Checking YouTube…
Research numbers.
The answers to the questions BirdLink is testing, for the YSTE report. They update every time this page opens.