Smart Cities - BirdNET-Pi Project
Overview
- BirdNET-Pi uses a USB microphone connected to a Raspberry Pi to record and identify bird calls.
- The system runs 24/7 and can upload data in real time to https://app.birdweather.com
- Data can also be downloaded via an API so that you can do some additional data processing using Node-RED.
Noisy Minors and Small Birds
- Noisy Minors are native honey eaters.
- They have done very well in urban areas because of the abundance of eucalyptus trees and mown lawns.
- Noisy Minors are also territorial and work cooperatively to drive our smaller birds.
- In many parks small birds are locally extinct and only survive close to waterways.
Small Birds
- Small birds need protection from thick scrubby vegetation so they can build nests and also hide from larger birds.
- Examples of small birds include:
- White-browed Scrubwrens
- Brown Thornbills
- Spotted Pardalotes
- Willy Wagtails
- Yellow Robins
- Golden Whistlers
- Eastern Spinebills
- Grey Fantails
- Government agencies, conservation groups and schools are working together to plant more shrubs and bushy vegetation to encourage small birds to come back to our local parks.
- You can read more in this article.
https://www.portplaces.com/noisy-miners-and-the-plight-of-small-birds/
- There is also a documentary you can watch on ABC iView called The Secret Lives of our Urban Birds. Start at the 41 minute mark to see the section on Noisy Minors.
https://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/the-secret-lives-of-our-urban-birds/13734884
Learning Objectives
- Learn how to install BirdNET-Pi on a Raspberry Pi 4
- Learn how to interpret data from a local installation of BirdNET-Pi
- Learn how to use an API to retrieve data from the BirdNET-Pi installed in Bundoora
Hardware requirements
- Raspberry Pi 4
- USB Microphone - (e.g. Gyvazla USB Microphone Lavalier Clip-on Omnidirectional Condenser Microphone for Computer)
- Heat sink and fan for Raspberry Pi
Imaging Raspberry Pi Operating System
- Install and open the Raspberry Pi imaging software on your computer.
- Connect a 16GB Micro SD card to you computer
- Select Operating System.
- Select the Raspberry Pi OS 64 bit version.
- Select the full 64 bit version, not Lite.
- Select Choose Storage.
- Select Mass Storage Device 16GB.
- You can install the OS on larger memory cards. 16GB is the smallest you can use.
- Click on Write.
- Select Yes - to write the image to the micro SD card.
- The installation takes approximately 15 minutes.
- The writing process is followed by a verification.
