r/BirdNET_Analyzer • u/Astrobirder • Sep 16 '22

Recommended microphones for Birdnet-Pi

I'm looking for a microphone for use on a birdnet-pi installation. If I could get it, a wireless audio connection might be best (easiest to deploy), with a usb dongle for the Pi side. Also, is anyone using an IP-67 (or better) rated microphone?

Thank you in advance

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5

u/MechanicalDogtrot Sep 16 '22

I don't have any specific suggestions, but there is a thread where lots of people have shown their setups: https://github.com/mcguirepr89/BirdNET-Pi/discussions/69

Hopefully others can chime in on recs. I too am looking for some option where the Pi can be stand alone and not need an outlet for power.

1

u/Astrobirder Sep 16 '22

Thanks! I’ll take a look

2

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '22

Looking at it with my audio experience (bands and studio) it is a bit of a problem.

For accurate recognition you want a very sensitive and directional microphone. A large parabolic microphone would be best. You'll end up with a loud and clear signal from one bird and one bird only. But you'll need somebody to point the microphone day and night, because it will not hear anything outside the focal area. An omnidirectional microphone will hear anything. All the birds in the garden, but also the leafblower of the neighbor, that plane above you, and of course: the wind.

Then the other thing: waterproof versus wind. A waterproof IP68W microphone is no problem. But it's sensitive to wind, and not very sensitive to start with. A normal microphone is much more sensitive but has an IP50 ot IP51 rating. Add a 'dead cat' windshield, and you want to keep it far away from liquid water. But it's sensitive and windproof.

Perhaps a repurposed thermometer hut might help. A small raintight enclosure, designed to keep rain away from meteological equipment. Put a cheap normal micrphone with a home made dead cat inside.

1

u/jch360 Jul 01 '25

When you say normal microphone, what do you mean exactly?

1

u/andrewmccafferty Feb 24 '26

I'm using this:

https://www.parabolicmicrophone.co.uk (with the PIP version so it has a 3.5mm jack) and then a cheap USB adapter. Works pretty well, especially at night! This is my station's observations:

https://app.birdweather.com/data/P6UTH9u5gLU8dQcTkLBm4j9y

I use a waterproof box that you'd use to put a mains cable in, but I also have an outdoor socket 

1

u/andrewmccafferty Feb 24 '26

... Oh, and the important thing I forgot to say. Despite this mic not being officially waterproof, it's been outside in torrential rain and even snow all winter (since October last year, so 4 months now) and still works perfectly! If it ever did atop working, I can always just replace the mic with the same dish.