Why Does My BirdSnap Smart Bird Feeder Stop Detecting Motion?
Quick Answer
If your BirdSnap camera has stopped detecting and recording motion, the most likely causes are that the camera has entered sleep mode, motion detection has been accidentally disabled, the camera has gone offline, or the battery is depleted. Work through the checklist below to identify and resolve the cause.
What's Happening
Motion detection on the BirdSnap camera relies on the PIR sensor being active, the camera being online, and notifications being enabled. Any of these factors going wrong will result in no recordings, even if birds are actively visiting the feeder.
Step-by-Step: Diagnosing Stopped Motion Detection
Step 1 — Check if sleep mode is active.
Sleep mode pauses all motion detection, recording, and notifications on a schedule. If your camera entered a scheduled sleep period, it will not detect anything until the period ends.
Go to Camera Settings → Sleep Settings and check whether a sleep plan is active and whether it covers the current time. If so, either let it run until it ends or adjust the schedule.
Step 2 — Check the camera's online status.
Open the BirdSnap app home page. If the camera shows as "Offline," it cannot upload clips or send notifications even if the PIR sensor is still active. See the related article on reconnecting an offline camera.
Step 3 — Check the battery level.
A critically depleted battery causes the camera to shut down entirely. Check the battery indicator in Camera Settings. If the battery is dead, charge the camera via USB-C before anything else.
Step 4 — Confirm motion detection is enabled.
Open Camera Settings → Motion Detection and check that motion detection is toggled on. It is possible for this to be accidentally disabled, particularly if settings were recently changed.
Step 5 — Check detection sensitivity.
If sensitivity is set to Low, the camera may be missing small or distant birds. Try setting it to Medium to see if detections resume.
Step 6 — Verify notifications are not the issue.
If the camera is detecting and recording but you are not receiving alerts, the issue is with notification settings rather than motion detection itself. Check that push notifications are enabled in both the BirdSnap app and your phone's system notification settings.
Step 7 — Restart the camera.
Long-press the power button to turn the camera off, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. A simple restart resolves most temporary detection issues caused by software glitches.
Step 8 — Check for and install firmware updates.
An outdated firmware version can sometimes cause detection to behave unexpectedly. Go to Camera Settings → Camera Info → Firmware Update and install any available update.
If the PIR Sensor May Be Physically Blocked
The PIR sensor is the small window at the top of the camera unit. If it is obscured by debris, a spiderweb, water droplets, or an object placed too close to the camera, it may not be able to detect motion. Inspect the sensor window and clean it gently with a dry soft cloth.
When to Contact Support
If none of the above steps restore motion detection — the camera is online, the battery is charged, sleep mode is off, detection is enabled, and the sensor is clean — there may be a firmware or hardware fault. Contact support with:
- Your camera's serial number
- A description of when the issue started
- Any changes made to settings or placement around that time
- Email: support@birdsnap.com
- Phone: +1 573-514-4826
- Live chat: Available at BirdSnap.com
- In-app chat: Tap the chat icon in the BirdSnap app
- Facebook Messenger: Message us via our official Facebook page
Our support team is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time.
