BirdNET / Pi
This is a project that started in the spring of 2026. I have a raspberry pi that is cataloging all the birds it recognizes (and learns to recognize through machine learning). I then using the server structure in my home host a website ( this website is hosted entirely on my servers as well) that is outward facing so that I can see from anywhere the birds that are calling or chirping in the yard behind my house.
It includes:
- 24/7 recording and automatic identification of bird songs, chirps, and peeps using BirdNET machine learning
- Automatic extraction and cataloguing of bird clips from full-length recordings
- Tools to visualize my recorded bird data and analyze trends Live audio stream and spectrogram
What is next for this project? I am building a power autonomous version to seek permission to place in the Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area. This is to collect data on the bird life that migrates through the area. Did you know more birds migrate along the Mississippi area than any other area across North America?
I have the schematics and parts planned, I am waiting for stock to come back in. This includes a solar panel, a battery that has always on functionality, a way to connect the solar panel to the battery and then discharge appropriately to a raspberry pi, and an enclosure that protects it all from the elements. Theoretically, what I have planned should last 3 days without sun, but would turn back on automatically once it had power again. It would also include a LTE connection and sim card to transmit the data outwards, but I would have to install a hypervisor (proxmox) to host a virtual bridge to the bird pi net to the LTE card to the tunnel to CloudFlare. I will plan on having this built before winter and test it in the yard for a few weeks, while I also seek permission for placement on public land.
Cornell Lab eBird
This has been a wonderful addition to my life as a novice birder. I have spent the last year and a half adding many lists and observations. This summer I spent probably 3-4 days a week cataloging Ovenbirds that had taken up residence in a near by area. I also watched the 50+ Bald Eagles that were feeding on the only break in the ice on the Iowa River this last winter. I appreciate what this program and community of citizen scientists do to maintain and build on existing knowledge.
I would suggest anyone sign up for an account (there is also an app) and start logging. There is a companion app called Merlin that can listen to calls near you and identify birds. This is extremely helpful when you are looking at flycatchers (IYKYK).