Gary Herritz: Travel with Birdfy Episode 2 - What's Your Favorite Bird?

Birdfy, a leading innovator in smart birdwatching technology, arrives at IFA for the first time following a milestone year in which the brand surpassed one million units in cumulative global sales. At the show, Birdfy is presenting its latest innovations as it continues to explore new possibilities for backyard birdwatching and strengthen its presence in Europe. Over the six years since its inception, Birdfy has expanded its product portfolio to capture more moments of bird life, from feeding and bathing to nesting. Its IFA debut brings this broader vision to the European tech stage, reflecting the brand’s momentum amid increasing interest in new ways to observe and engage with nature. Highlights include the Birdfy Feeder Metal 2 4K, the brand’s flagship 4K smart bird feeder; the Birdfy Bath Pro, whose dual-lens camera system follows birds as they drink, bathe and splash; and the Birdfy Nest Duo, featuring two cameras that provide complementary views inside and outside the birdhouse. Birdfy’s IFA lineup has also earned recognition from two leading technology publications, with the Birdfy Feeder Metal 2 4K receiving Best in Show recognition from Trusted Reviews and the Birdfy Feeder Wood named among PC-WELT’s Best of IFA selections. “Birdwatching has always been about curiosity — noticing what’s around us and wanting to know more,” said Allen Chen, Founder and CEO of Birdfy. “Our first IFA is an opportunity to deepen our connection with bird lovers across Europe and show how technology can open up new ways to experience and appreciate nature in everyday life.” Birdfy sees smart birding as more than a category of consumer technology. Its vision is to make technology a bridge between people and the natural world, helping more people notice, understand and care about the wildlife around them. Visit Birdfy at IFA 2026 (Hall 2.2, Booth 138). About Birdfy Birdfy — the leading brand in smart birdwatching solutions — has been devoted to creating cutting-edge smart products to redefine backyard birdwatching since 2020. Tailored for bird lovers of all levels, its products span smart bird feeders, bird baths, birdhouses, and innovative add-ons. Birdfy endeavors to elevate the fun, joyous, and personalized backyard birdwatching experience by presenting more eco-friendly, sustainable innovations. For more information, please visit www.birdfy.com or contact press@birdfy.com

To mark its one million sales milestone, Birdfy, the leading innovator in smart birdwatching solutions, has just released its U.S. Birdwatching Insights Report 2026: A Million Devices, One Portrait of Nature. The report draws on Birdfy's growing observation network of over a million devices to reveal the hidden scale and daily rhythm of backyard bird activity across the United States, and Americans’ fascination with the birds outside their windows. Leveraging Birdfy’s AI-powered identification technology, which analyzes images and video captured by its cameras to distinguish species using visual details such as plumage and markings alongside likely geographic range, Birdfy devices completed more than 2.1 billion identification events between June 2025 and May 2026, equivalent to 66 identifications every second. Now enhanced by Birdfy OrniSense, its VLM-powered birdwatching AI, the technology can also explain the reasoning behind an identification, recognize multiple species and turn recorded footage into searchable highlights and personalized birding diaries. Analysis of the anonymized device, image and video, AI-recognition, temporal and app-behavior data found that the House Finch, not the Northern Cardinal, was the most frequently detected feeder visitor and bird activity surged before most Americans have even woken up. Together, the findings reveal when birds arrive, which species appear most often and how backyard sightings vary across the country. Celebrating Birdfy’s one-million-device milestone, the report documents what the company and its community of users have discovered together, reflecting Birdfy’s mission to make smart birdwatching fun, engaging and accessible to bird lovers of all experience levels. Its six key insights include: Six insights from a million-device view of nature 1. SCALE: 66 identifications every second Birdfy devices completed approximately 2.1 billion AI identifications during the 12 months to May 2026. Across the platform to date, devices have captured more than six billion recorded moments, representing over 33 million hours of footage. 2. PEAK: Backyards come alive before dawn Activity begins rising around 5 a.m. local time, increases more than fourfold by 6 a.m., and peaks at 8 a.m. On the spring equinox sample day, the Northern Cardinal was the first species detected in 26 of 50 states and 2 jurisdictions, followed by the House Finch in seven and the Dark-eyed Junco in four. 3. GEOGRAPHY: The Rockies divide two backyard bird worlds East of the Rocky Mountains, Northern Cardinals dominate Birdfy detections; to the west, House Finches appear most frequently. The divide is even clearer among hummingbirds: Ruby-throated Hummingbirds accounted for 61.6% of hummingbird identifications and dominated in the east, while western sightings included Anna's, Allen's, Rufous and Costa's Hummingbirds. 4. AWARENESS: AI is putting names to unfamiliar visitors Birdfy's identification library covers more than 6,000 species. During real-world product use, the platform has identified more than 1,000 species - helping turn 'that red bird' into a Northern Cardinal and making birdwatching more accessible to newcomers. 5. DISCOVERY: Unusual hummingbirds are visiting ordinary backyards Across more than 20 million hummingbird identifications, Birdfy recorded 17 species beyond the three most common, including unusual visitors such as the Broad-billed, Berylline and Lucifer Hummingbirds. Rare or unusual records undergo additional manual review and are cross-checked against known species distributions where feasible. 6. CHANGE: Sharing bird moments has more than tripled Birdfy users shared more than two million bird photos and videos during the past year. Sharing activity increased 227%, suggesting that backyard birdwatching is becoming an increasingly social experience rather than a solitary observation. The House Finch tops America's backyard regulars The House Finch ranked first with more than 200 million detections, followed by the Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow, Mourning Dove and Tufted Titmouse. Completing the top 10 were the Black-capped Chickadee, Chipping Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Dark-eyed Junco and Blue Jay. Texas records the widest range of species within Birdfy's network Birdfy devices in Texas recorded 656 species, the highest number within the company's U.S. device coverage, followed by Florida with 627 and California with 620. California ranked seventh for device share but third for species recorded, highlighting that observation volume alone does not explain every regional difference. The report cautions that these findings are not a scientific ranking of state biodiversity. Device distribution, feeder type, feeding habits and regional coverage all influence what is recorded. From watching to caring to sharing: Community supporting conservation As people learn to recognize the birds visiting their backyards, observation can grow into attachment and a desire to share those encounters with others. Birdfy users shared more than two million bird photos and videos over the past year, while sharing activity increased by 227%—more than tripling year over year. Each shared moment helps bring another person into the experience, creating a growing community that can raise awareness of the challenges facing wild birds and encourage greater participation in conservation. Matthew A. Young, Bird Consultant at Birdfy, Founder and President of the Finch Research Network, and author of the Stokes Guide to Finches of the United States and Canada, explains in the report: “Everyday Americans play a vital role in protecting the environment. Local actions like backyard bird watching and citizen science build a strong base for conservation. The local significance of backyard birding in the U.S. rests in how small, daily acts of observation turn into powerful community science, local conservation, and personal well-being.” Birdfy is also turning the growth of that community into direct financial support for conservation. Every Birdfy device sold contributes $1 to the Birdfy Fund, which has raised over $1 million to support bird conservation projects, research partnerships, responsible backyard practices and community education. As more people discover, record and share the birds around them, the community’s collective ability to raise awareness—and funds—for their protection grows with it. Read the full report Report landing page: https://www.birdfy.com/pages/birdfy-insights-report-previewDownload the report: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0782/9346/7416/files/Birdfy_U.S._Birdwatching_Insights_Report_2026.pdf?v=1787880658 About Birdfy Founded in 2020, Birdfy creates smart birdwatching products designed to make backyard nature observation accessible to bird lovers of all experience levels. Its range includes smart bird feeders, bird baths, birdhouses and accessories. For more information, visit www.birdfy.com or contact press@birdfy.com

Birdfy launches an interactive Hummingbird Migration Map that allows birders to explore fall migration routes across the U.S. and discover how their own backyards can serve as meaningful stopovers along the journey.