For wildlife—especially birds—the biggest priority is reach. A long telephoto lens matters more than most other features, because subjects are usually far away. In this budget, realistic options are mostly used gear.

Two sensible paths:

1. A used crop-sensor DSLR with an entry-level telephoto zoom, such as a 55-250mm or 70-300mm.
2. A point-and-shoot superzoom with a long equivalent focal length.

A DSLR setup will usually give better image quality and room to grow, but your budget is very tight for bird photography, so you’ll likely be buying older used equipment. A superzoom can give you much more reach for the money, though with trade-offs like more noise, less sharpness, and weaker low-light performance.

Useful features to prioritize:

• longest practical focal length
• image stabilization
• decent autofocus
• ability to buy used lenses affordably

Less important at this budget:

• chasing the newest body
• high-end features over lens reach

Also expect that good light helps a lot, and a tripod or steady hand is useful at long focal lengths. Astrophotography is a different use case and usually favors wider, faster lenses, so don’t expect one low-cost setup to excel at both. For birds on this budget, used DSLR + telephoto or a superzoom is the most realistic starting point.