Birdbuddy, the startup best known for turning birdwatching into a live streaming hobby with an AI-powered feeder cam, is forked. literally.
We first saw Petal and Blocks, a new, mysterious brand duo that returned to CES in January.
And now you can order them via Kickstarter… However, delivery is not estimated until June 2026.
Starting with Wonder Petal, it is a solar-powered garden camera designed to quietly observe bugs, flowers, and other things in your flowerbed.
It works with a wider modular system called Wonder Blocks, which includes frames like planters, pollinator shelters and central trellis.
The petals are basically 4K, 12MP cameras on flexible stems that can be stuck into the soil, clipped into the pot, or attached more permanently. The small solar panels disguised as leaves help to maintain power, and the camera lens can be replaced by whether you are aiming for a close-up macro shot or for a wider image.
The idea is to make it easy to capture what’s going on at the ground level. From butterflies landing on flowers to bees, visit DIY Wildflower Patch.
Petal uses what is known as “natural intelligence.” This is a blend of computer vision and sound recognition that can be seen to detect and interpret events such as bee pollination, flowering flowers, and feather flaps.
What’s even more interesting is how this fits into Birdbuddy’s wider ambitions. If it sounds strange, the company is moving beyond the birds and creating what it describes as a complete “backyard ecosystem platform.”
The Wonder Blocks System is modular, and think of the LEGO of Nature Nerds. Includes self-watering planters, bee hotels, butterfly feeders, microwater features and more. It’s all designed to attract more biodiversity, and all of that (of course) can be tracked via the Wonder app.
Some of this risks risk leaning towards the realm of gimmicks, but here too, there is a real possibility, especially for those seeking a better understanding of the quiet parts of family, school or local wildlife.
And coming from a team that has already scored one hit in this space, the execution could actually live up to its promise.
Kickstarter includes multiple bundles, ranging from a single petal ($129) to a complete Wonderblock Setup ($299+) and a $499 “Hero” pack that throws two petals, a planter, a pollinator shelter and a modular frame.
No subscription is required, and existing bird buddy users can expect cross-platform functionality under the line.
It’s not cheap, but if the technology holds in place, the idea of a “smart garden” can feel like something novel, but something that is actually worth planting.
