Wingscapes BirdCam vs Trail Camera Review - Which Is Best? (2024)

We wanted to know if there is any differencebetween a trail cameravs a Wingscapes BirdCam when it comes to capturingphotos or videos of birds either in front of a backyard bird feederbird bath,bird house or really anywhere you can set up an automatic,motion-triggered wildlife camera.

This came about because when searching andcomparing for these type of cameras, there are many wildlife gamecameras, but only a few that are specifically designed and marketed forbird watching.

Wingscapes, for example, specificallystatesthat trail cams willnot work on small birds because they are meant to capture photos oflarge animals, not small songbirds.

Bird Photos with Trail Camera

Here is a photo of a dove that was captured by theMoultrie Trail Camera at a distance of about 3-4 feet away from thefeeder.

Note:All of the photos have been reduced for faster page load. The MoultrieGame Camera can take 8 mp photos up to 3840x2160 in size.

Comparison of BirdCam close-up photo ofhummingbird:

Trail Cam Photos of Elk onNationalForest

We left our Moultrie Trail Cam over the weekend at one of our favorite hikingspots to see what the camera would catch walking by.

We had photos of bull elk, a very close-up cow elk and a few photos of muledeer. I would say the close focus is pretty darn close!

The cow elk from above undoubtedly hadthisbull elk below in tow.

Backyard Infrared Night Photos Taken with GameCamera

The infrared nighttime photos we got from our backyard were very clear.

The mule deer love our strawberry patch, apple tree and even less-than-choicetomatoes left behind in the garden from the summer.

I am currently testing different adjustments so Ican fine tune the settings for smallerbirds like warblers, vireos, finches, chickadees, etc..

Moultrie Trail Camera vs BirdCam

Wepurchased the Moultrie M-880 Low Glow Mini Game Camerabecause despite its low price, it has many features that the moreexpensivetrail cams have.

We didn't need or want anything to fancy. We justwanted to be able to take photos of birds and animals in our backyardas well as leave it at places we like to hike on the National Forests.

It was also almost $60 cheaper than the BirdCam.

But can it do dual-duty and take awesome photos and videos of large animalsas well as small songbirds?

Senor Sensitivity

The senor may not be sensitive enough on the Moultrie game camera topick up hummingbirds.

I was not able to capture a hummingbird photo this past summer, but I onlytried twice and may not have had the settings correct. Will have to wait untilspring migration to try again. :-(

Close Focus

I'm in the process of determining theclose focus distance.

Recently, I tried to take photos of juncos feeding on the ground. The onlybirds that were in focus were approximately at a 2-foot minimum distance. Anybird that was closer than 2 feet were not in focus.

As you can see from the cow elk photo, she was within inches of the lens whenthe photo was taken.

But so far, none of the small birds have been in focus this close. It may bejust that with the birds' quick movement, they are blurred.

I still will continue to try different settings and see how it goes. I'm alsowaiting on a response from Moultrie if they can tell me the exact close distancefocus since it is not listed in the product details.

Most trail camera use is for larger animals in farther-distance shots, soclose focus is really not a feature people are looking for in these cameras.

Responses from Trail Camera Brands

I contacted some of the bigger, more popular manufacturers of trail cams andasked them if any of their trail cameras were capable of taking photos andvideos triggered by small birds at short distances. Below are their responses.

Response From Leupold:

"We did not test our RCX Trail Camerasfor thatpurpose, but they all have adjustable sensitivity to LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH,and SUPER HIGH.

In my experience, super high is too sensitive foralmost any purpose unless you want 500 pictures of leafs fluttering ana light breeze.

What I am trying to say with that is that one ofthose 4 settings should have no problem activating the RCX for a small,bird-sized object.

As for the focus, you can use the controller that comes in the Kit versionto preview the image so that you can position it for the best effect."

Response From Bushnell:

"OurNatureview HD Max Camera will notonly fityour requirements but will exceed.

The NatureView HD Max will focus to 10” and be more than reliable withtriggers on birds, as that is what this line is designed for.

You will also get the option of interchangeable lenses to customize theFocus of the camera, plus all of the features and tuning settings our TrophyCams are famous for including, 1080p HD Video, Full Sensitivity control of thesensor, full LED brightness control, intervals etc. The list is long!".

Response From Moultrie:

"WingScapes is our sister company andthey arecorrect.

A game camera can take bird pictures but you cannot get upreal close to themlike theWingScapes bird camera can.

I have Game cameras but wouldnever use them for bird photos. I always use my WingScapes camera formy birds. Great for my Hummers and I love putting it on a nest."

Response From Optics Planet:

"The trail cameras that we sell trigger at much greater distances -they are used primarily for larger wildlife such as deer, and also forsecurity at remote locations.

I have a good friend that has installed a couple of small webcams infeeders, with great success.He uses image capture software for still shots."

So as you can see, Leupold said their RCX trailcameras should have no problems taking photos of birds and Bushnellsays their Natureview camera is even better with trigger sensitivity.

But I find Leupod's RCX models with lots of badreviews and Bushnell'sNatureview Cam close focus is further out at 10" vs BirdCam's 6". Plus,the Natureview is $50 more than the BirdCam.

As Optics Planetmentioned, you could also use a webcam for capturing video of birds,but I find this less than ideal because they are not really meant fortaking bright, outdoor photos; their resolution isn't very high andthey're not weatherproof.

Moultrie says game cameras are not as good as theBirdCam, but they are owned by the same company (Ebsco Industries) asWingscapes, so of course I expect them to agree.

And, in part, it'struebecause not all trail cameras can take short-distance photos or havethe same trigger sensitivity for birds.

In fact, aside from testing ourMoultrie Trail Camera,I have yet to find a game camera that can take photos as close as 6"like the BirdCam can.

Wingscapes BirdCam Pro

Here is an video overview of the BirdCam Profeatures:

BirdCam Pro vs Moultrie TrailCamera Comparison Table

Conclusion

So is a BirdCam better than a trail camera or vice-versa?

I'm still experimenting with the Moultrie at our bird feeders and I've beenable to take some really nice photos with the exception of no hummingbird shotsyet.

The Moultrie has certainly exceeded our expectations with larger animalphotos and videos, both day and night.

I would say that yes, the BirdCam Pro is thebest bird camera to take photos and video of birds at yourfeeders, bird houses, bird baths, etc. especially small birds at closedistances.

So if that will be your primary use, I would definitelysuggest you get the BirdCamPro.

The BirdCam Pro has several mounting optionsincluding an attachable mounting arm, using a tripod or attaching withcablesor straps.

If you want the capability of taking great photosof larger animals and small birds, but don't care if you can takereally up-close photos, then you may want to consider theMoultrieTrailCam or similar trail cameras.

For now, though, I cannot prove whether they are capable of takinghummingbird photos due to their tiny size and perhaps not triggering the sensor.

Sidenote:These cameras also double as a security cam - you may be surprised what travels through your property at night or really anytime you're away!

BestBird Feeders

BestBinoculars for Birdwatching