How It All Started
It started with a bird feeder and a camera — one of those smart camera feeders that sends you a notification every time something lands on it. We set it up in the backyard, pointed it at a bag of sunflower seeds, and waited. What showed up was amazing.
Cardinals at dawn. Blue jays fighting over peanuts. Chickadees doing full acrobatics on the perch. A downy woodpecker who visited like clockwork at 7:15am every single morning. And yes — squirrels. Always the squirrels, trying their absolute hardest to defeat every “squirrel-proof” feeder on the market. (Spoiler: they win a lot.)
The footage was too good to keep to ourselves. So we started a TikTok. Then a YouTube channel. Then a Facebook page. We called it Eye On The Fly, because we thought it sounded cool and it was available. The videos took off almost immediately — turns out, people really love watching birds eat breakfast.
Then came the questions...
What kind of bird is that?”
Do those come to feeders?”
What seed should I use?”
Is that a house finch or a purple finch?”
What's the red bird with the mohawk?”
How do I attract bluebirds?”
Comment after comment, video after video. People didn't just want to watch the birds — they wanted to know them. And honestly? So did we.
Why We Built BirdLookUp.com
That's why we built this site. BirdLookUp.com is a place where anyone can look up a bird they saw, learn about it, and watch it in action at a real feeder. Not a stuffy academic encyclopedia — but a friendly, visual, practical guide for the kind of person who sees a cool bird out the window and thinks “wait, what IS that?”
We've built profiles for over 14,000 species. Each one includes identification tips, habitat info, diet details, fun facts, and — where available — real video footage from our own feeders. You can search by name, color, size, or region. You can browse identification guides by color. You can discover what birds are common in your area.
And we're always adding more. More birds. More videos. More guides. This site is a living project that grows every single week.
Our Feeding Station
Our feeding station is located in a backyard in Illinois — right in the middle of some seriously good bird territory. We've got a mix of feeder types designed to attract the widest variety of visitors:
- Birdfy smart camera feeder — our main camera, captures every visit with AI bird ID
- Squirrel Buster Plus tube feeder — squirrel-proof and loved by finches and chickadees
- Platform tray feeders — for ground feeders like juncos, sparrows, and mourning doves
- Suet cage feeders — essential for woodpeckers, nuthatches, and wrens
- Hummingbird feeders in season — ruby-throated hummingbirds are summer regulars
Camera System
Birdfy smart camera feeder with AI species identification and instant phone notifications
Food Supply
Enchanted Garden wild bird feed mix as our main source, plus black oil sunflower, nyjer, safflower, and suet cakes
Multiple Feeders
Tube feeders, platform feeders, suet cages, and hummingbird feeders — something for every species
What We Post & How Often
We post new bird feeder videos every single day across all three platforms. Every video features real, unscripted footage from our own feeders — no stock footage, no animations, no borrowed clips. What you see is what showed up in our yard.
The videos go up on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook — three times a day, every day. Morning, afternoon, and evening. Sometimes it's a cardinal having a quiet breakfast. Sometimes it's a blue jay loudly asserting dominance. And sometimes it's a squirrel doing something so creative you can't even be mad about it.
Why We Do This
Honestly? Because birds are incredible and most people don't even realize how many amazing species are literally right outside their window. We want to change that.
Our mission is to make bird identification and appreciation accessible to everyone. You don't need binoculars, a field guide, or a birding club membership to enjoy birds. You just need to look up. And maybe put out some sunflower seeds.
Whether you're a seasoned birder with a life list of 500+ species, or someone who just noticed a bright red bird at your window and wants to know what it is — this site is for you. We want everyone to experience that moment of wonder when you see a bird up close and realize how beautiful and complex these creatures are.
The Person Behind the Feeder
Eye On The Fly is run by one person — just a lady in Illinois who genuinely, unironically loves watching birds eat seeds. She fills the feeders every morning, reviews the camera footage, picks the best clips, writes the captions, manages the socials, built this entire website, and occasionally yells at squirrels through the window.
There's no team. No office. No investors. No content strategy meetings. Just one person, a backyard full of feeders, a camera, and an unreasonable amount of bird seed.
If you enjoy what we do — whether it's the videos, the website, or just the vibe — the best way to support it is to contribute directly. Every dollar goes to seed, feeders, cameras, and keeping this project alive. No corporate sponsors. No ads. Just birds and the people who love them.
14,000+
Bird Species
Daily
New Videos
3
Platforms
100%
Backyard Filmed
Want to Help?
Running a feeding station, camera setup, and this entire website costs real money. Most of it goes straight to bird seed (those birds eat a lot). If you enjoy what we do, your support keeps the feeders full and the cameras rolling.