Note: We have stopped selling this product, but are hoping to have a new version of the bird monitor available to sell early in 2024. Please subscribe to our newsletter to find out when these are available.
The 2040 Bird Monitor (also known as the Cacophonometer) is the easiest way to measure how bird populations are changing. This device makes periodic sound recordings everyday and uploads them to the cloud, noting the time and location.
These recordings are analysed to calculate a Cacophony Index which is a measure of the amount of birdsong and how it changes over time, giving you an objective measure of the impact of predator control or reforestation.
The analysis also automatically identifies
- bellbird
- black noddy
- blackbird
- crimson rosella
- fantail
- frog
-
generic bird calls
- grey warbler
- house sparrow
- human
-
insect
- kiwi
- noise: this is a generic sound that isn't a bird or some other sound that we're trying to recognise.
- norfolk gerygone
- norfolk robin
- rifleman
- rooster
- ruru/morepork
- silvereye
- sooty tern
- sparrow
- whistler
- white tern
We hope to automatically identify other birds at some stage in the future. Although we can't identify these other birds now, it is still useful to make the recordings so they can be analysed retrospectively after we have the ability to automatically identify more birds.
The bird monitor will, by default, automatically delete any recordings that contain human voices.
This product includes:
- an Android phone which runs the Bird Monitoring software
- a waterproof case
- an external microphone
- a year of cloud storage
The Bird Monitor can be powered by
- a mains power supply,
- solar (solar panels sold separately),
- or a battery - the internal battery will last about a week
If the Bird Monitor is within range of a Wi-Fi network it will automatically upload the recordings to the cloud. Alternatively you can insert a Spark SIM card and it will upload the recordings if it has cell coverage (this can be supplied at $19.99/month). If there is no connectivity the Bird Monitor can store 3 month's of recordings which will then be uploaded when the device connects to the internet. This storage time can be increased to a year if a 32Gb card (not included) is installed.
Read a review of the Bird Monitor
Download the 2040 Bird Monitor operating manual
Read the latest news about the Bird Monitor. Download the latest Bird Monitor Software.
This device has been developed by the team at The Cacophony Project. A proportion of the proceeds will be be donated to this not for profit group to further develop their technologies and help make New Zealand predator free.