Quick Start
The fast, hardware-first path from box to first bird — about 15 minutes of hands-on work. Do the steps in this order: it mirrors what actually has to be true before the software can watch your feeder. Each step links to the full detail if you want it.
Step 1 — Set up the camera
BirdWatchAI watches a network (RTSP) camera, so the camera has to be running and reachable first.
- Mount the camera 3–10 feet from the feeder with a clear, bird-filling view, the sun behind it, and strong Wi-Fi.
- Power it up and join it to the same network as the machine that will run BirdWatchAI.
- For TP-Link Tapo, open the Tapo app and create a Camera Account under Advanced Settings → Camera Account — the camera won't accept an RTSP connection without one.
- Note the camera's IP address — you'll need it for the RTSP URL (how to find it).
Full details, per-brand notes, and stream guidance:
Part 2 — Camera Hardware. On Tapo, use
/stream2.
Step 2 — Install or power on BirdWatchAI
Pick the edition that fits (unsure? Desktop vs. Server):
- Windows desktop app — run the installer. Part 3 → Windows desktop.
- Raspberry Pi / Linux / Windows / macOS server — bring up the container. Part 3 → Raspberry Pi server, Windows + Docker, or macOS + Docker.
Step 3 — Open it
- Desktop: launch BirdWatchAI from the Start menu.
- Server: browse to
http://<your-host>:8080(e.g.http://birdwatch.local:8080) from any device on the network. Can't find it? See Part 4 → Preloaded Raspberry Pi for the BirdWatchFinder tool.
Step 4 — Run the setup wizard
The first launch opens a setup wizard. The camera step is the one that matters:
paste the RTSP URL (Tapo:
rtsp://user:pass@camera-ip/stream2) and test it. Then set your ZIP
code for weather and rarity, and optionally turn on notifications. Walk-through:
Part 4 — First-Time Setup.
Step 5 — Confirm your first detection
You'll land on the main window / dashboard showing monitoring Running and the camera Connected. Within a few minutes — assuming daylight and birds at the feeder — your first detection appears. Nothing yet? See Part 7 → No / wrong detections.