To detect motion, cameras other than the Mini are sensitive to the size of an object's heat as it appears in the view. The Blink Mini detects visual differences between one moment and the next. For both types of camera however, a small object close to the camera would trigger a detection equal to a larger object farther away because their appearance is similar in the camera view. The best range of detection is within 5 to 20 feet (about 1.5 to 6m) from the camera. By placing your camera higher off of the ground, you can avoid smaller animals causing motion alerts.