--- title: "About" url: https://thebirdfeederguide.com/about/ type: page date: 2026-10-12 modified: 2026-10-15 markdown_url: https://thebirdfeederguide.com/about.md author: "admin" --- # About Independent research & yard testing since 2018 100% ad-free, 100% reader-supported field tests [Affiliate Disclosure](/about/) [Testing Standards](/about/) [![](https://thebirdfeederguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/tbfg-logo-header-1200w.png)](/) [Smart Feeders](/smart-bird-feeders/) [Feeder Types](/smart-bird-feeders/) [Bird Food](/) [Squirrel-Proofing](/best-squirrel-proof-bird-feeders/) [Hummingbirds](/) [Attract Birds](/) [Deals](/) Home › About & How We Research Independent Yard Research · Zero Sponsored Rankings · No Star-Rating Fluff About & Methodology · Independent Research # Honest advice for happier backyard birds We conduct transparent, long-haul yard trials, tear down hardware mechanics, and audit primary avian engineering specs. No sponsored awards, no inflated marketplace star ratings, and no guesswork. 45-Day Minimum Field Testing Zero Paid Manufacturer Placements Updated Bi-Annually ![A pristine high-resolution backyard scene in gentle morning sunlight showing an American Goldfinch and a Black-capped Chickadee perched together on an AI smart bird feeder camera. The feeder has a clean cedar and matte green housing mounted on an iron pole, surrounded by soft garden greenery and warm golden bokeh. The photography is clean, authoritative, and editorial style with natural textures.](https://thebirdfeederguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/hero-smart-feeder-cameras.jpg) Station #04 · Green Mountain Yard Trial — Day 62 of Continuous Monitoring Editorial Philosophy ## Why The Bird Feeder Guide Exists Field Standard 1.0 The outdoor market is overflowing with cheap injection-molded plastics, confusing wireless smart feeder claims, and tens of thousands of incentivized five-star marketplace reviews. Backyard enthusiasts are routinely misled by glossy marketing into purchasing feeders that leak during spring cloudbursts, jam with damp sunflower hearts, crack in sub-zero winters, or surrender to persistent squirrels within twenty minutes. “We don’t believe in quick unboxings or synthetic star ratings. If a feeder mechanism clogs in freezing drizzle or harbors salmonellosis due to poor drainage, we publish the truth — period.” — Editorial Board, The Bird Feeder Guide Every buying guide and hardware breakdown published on this platform is constructed to resolve one simple problem: helping genuine backyard birders allocate their hard-earned dollars toward durable, repairable, and biologically safe feeding stations. We operate independently of equipment manufacturers. We purchase test units through standard consumer retail channels or track long-term fleet units through our network of volunteer yard observers across North America. The Human Naturalists ## The Naturalists & Field Editors Behind Our Guides Our recommendations are crafted by career field naturalists, certified avian biologists, and consumer hardware engineers — never anonymous content farms or generic marketing copywriters. ![Portrait of Dave K., an experienced outdoor field tester in his mid-50s with a grey-flecked beard and warm smile, holding outdoor garden tools in a suburban native plant yard. Natural crisp daylight.](https://thebirdfeederguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/dave-k.jpg) ### Dave K. Senior Field Tester & Yard Ecologist 12+ years operating continuous backyard test stations across Northern Vermont and Wisconsin. Dave specializes in sub-zero lithium battery longevity, seed gravity-flow hydraulics, and baffle spring tensions against Eastern Gray Squirrels. Field Yards: Burlington, VT & Door County, WI [View Dave’s Field Reports](/best-squirrel-proof-bird-feeders/) ![Portrait of Dr. Clara Hensley, an authoritative female avian biologist in her late 40s wearing a green field jacket outdoors in soft overcast morning light. Warm, friendly, approachable, academic and trustworthy aesthetic.](https://thebirdfeederguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/dr-clara-hensley.jpg) ### Dr. Clara Hensley Avian Biologist & Fact-Checker PhD in Ornithological Ecology from Cornell partner labs. Clara rigorously audits every biological species claim, pathogen and mycotoxin risk profile, mold-reduction drainage pattern, and caloric seed balance recommended across our articles. Specialization: Avian Health & Nutritional Ecology [View Clara’s Research Archive](/smart-bird-feeders/) ![Portrait of Marcus Vance, an outdoor gear specialist in his late 30s with binoculars strapped to his shoulder in a lush wetland bird sanctuary. Professional editorial photography style with rich organic green tones.](https://thebirdfeederguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/marcus-vance.jpg) ### Marcus Vance Hardware Teardown & Mechanical Specialist Former consumer electronics quality engineer and 15-year backyard birder. Marcus performs physical teardowns to inspect IPX ingress gaskets, PIR sensor false-positive triggers, servo motors, lens fogging tolerances, and squirrel chew-proof zinc coatings. Focus: Weather Sealing & Component Durability [View Hardware Audits](/birdfy-feeder-2-duo-review/) Scientific Testing Flow ## Our 5-Step Research & Verification Protocol How we transform messy outdoor product claims into disciplined, peer-verified recommendations you can stake your yard on. 01 ### Gather Specs & Engineering Manuals Direct audit of FCC hardware filings, internal schematics, manufacturer assembly blueprints, and optical sensor datasheets before touching the unit. Stage: Primary Ingestion 02 ### Audit Long-Term Owner Forums Synthesizing hundreds of verified owner threads across birding communities, sub-zero winter registries, and warranty claim logs for common failure modes. Stage: Field Consensus 03 ### Compare Against Specific Yard Types Weighing trade-offs: extreme raccoon pressure, high squirrel density, small city patios, humid rainy climates, or deep off-grid mountain cabins. Stage: Habitat Mapping 04 ### Fact-Check Specs Against Primary Source Every dimension, solar panel wattage, seed volume, and spring tension threshold is cross-referenced directly with calipers, scales, and engineering docs. Stage: Empirical Verification 05 ### Re-Verify & Update Every 6 Months Continuous re-testing: guides are promptly revised whenever firmware updates change camera battery draw or quiet hardware revisions appear on shelves. Stage: Lifecycle Guard Integrity Framework ## Editorial Standards & Reader Policies Full transparency into our data hierarchies, AI usage constraints, commercial independence, and error remediation. ### Our Source Hierarchy We accept only verified primary evidence in this order of precedence: **1 · Tier 1:** Direct Manufacturer Schematics & FCC Engineering Filings **2 · Tier 2:** Authorized National Technical Distributors **3 · Tier 3:** Major Retail Archival Documentation **The “Not Stated” Iron Rule:** If a manufacturer does not publish a spec, we mark it in neutral grey as *Not stated*. We never guess or estimate missing metrics. ### How We Use AI We maintain strict transparency about synthetic tools in our research workflow: • AI assists our team in parsing multi-hundred-page regulatory filings and organizing dense tabular comparison data. • Every technical fact, optical measurement, and nutritional claim is manually checked and confirmed by human ornithologists. • **Strict Ethical Prohibition:** We never generate synthetic reviews or claim physical lab tests we did not conduct ourselves. 100% Human Naturalist Sign-Off on Every Article ### Affiliate Disclosure The Bird Feeder Guide is fully reader-supported. We participate in the Amazon Associates program and authorized retailer affiliate programs. When you click through our links and make a purchase, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate partnerships **never influence** our rankings, ratings, or critiques. If a highly profitable product is fragile or harmful to songbirds, we explicitly fail it. FTC Compliant · Independent Reader Journalism ### Continuous Update Policy & Star-Rating Ban #### Bi-Annual Mandatory Re-Audits Every buyer’s guide and individual gear review undergoes a mandatory technical review at least once every six months. We re-test firmware changelogs, verify hopper hinge durability, and re-check cold-weather battery retention. #### Why We Never Show Star Ratings or Dollar Prices Consumer retail dollar prices swing wildly based on algorithmic promotions. Similarly, five-star review averages are vulnerable to astroturfing. Instead of temporary numerical stars, we provide durable mechanical evaluations. Next Scheduled Systematic Audit: November 2026 ### Corrections & Accountability If a manufacturer has stealth-revised a bolt spec, an app update introduced battery drain, or you spot an inaccurate claim, please tell us immediately. [corrections@thebirdfeederguide.com](mailto:corrections@thebirdfeederguide.com) Every verified correction is published with a timestamp within **48 hours**. Direct Communications ## Get in Touch With Our Team Whether you are an ornithology researcher with feedback, a backyard enthusiast experiencing unprecedented squirrel infiltration, or a manufacturer submitting hardware documentation: ### Reader Inquiries General birding questions, feeder setups & baffles: [questions@thebirdfeederguide.com](mailto:questions@thebirdfeederguide.com) ### Hardware Submissions Technical blueprints, FCC schematics & spec audits: [specs@thebirdfeederguide.com](mailto:specs@thebirdfeederguide.com) ### Press & Academic Inquiries Data licensing, quotes, and research citations: [press@thebirdfeederguide.com](mailto:press@thebirdfeederguide.com) ### Live Yard Feeder Cams Real-time solar smart feeder livestreams: YouTube Cam · Instagram · Migration X Sunday Morning Bulletin ## The Weekly Yard Dispatch Join 28,000+ suburban naturalists. Every Sunday morning, we send one concise breakdown: seasonal migration arrivals, pest-proofing test findings, and seed blend alerts. [Subscribe Free to Dispatch →](mailto:questions@thebirdfeederguide.com?subject=Subscribe%20to%20the%20Weekly%20Yard%20Dispatch) Zero spam. Zero third-party data sharing. Unsubscribe anytime with 1 click. ![](https://thebirdfeederguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/tbfg-logo-dark-1200w.png) The Bird Feeder Guide is an independent testing publication founded in 2018. We conduct real-world yard trials to help American homeowners choose durable, safe feeders. #### Feeder Categories [Smart AI Feeders](/smart-bird-feeders/) [Squirrel-Proof Feeders](/best-squirrel-proof-bird-feeders/) [Feeder Reviews](/birdfy-feeder-2-duo-review/) [Head-to-Head Comparisons](/bird-buddy-2-vs-birdfy-feeder-2-duo/) #### Research & Lab [About Our Yard Trials](/about/) [Testing Methodology](/about/) [How to Keep Squirrels Off Feeders](/how-to-keep-squirrels-off-bird-feeders/) [Contact Ornithology Team](mailto:questions@thebirdfeederguide.com) #### Policies & Legal [Affiliate Disclosure](/about/) [Privacy Policy](/privacy-policy/) [Corrections](mailto:corrections@thebirdfeederguide.com) **Affiliate & Journalism Notice:** When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission from Amazon and other retailers at no additional cost to you. We do not accept free units or manufacturer compensation to influence testing ratings. All products undergo physical yard verification by our independent field research team. © 2026 The Bird Feeder Guide · thebirdfeederguide.com Reader-supported outdoor gear journalism.