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FAQ

The questions that have been asked the most. If what you're wondering isn't here, see the end of this page.

Do I need a Raspberry Pi?

Only for the panel. It plugs straight onto a Pi's pins and uses Pimoroni's driver.

Everything else runs wherever Python or Docker does - a NAS, a homelab, an old laptop. See Container.

Do I need the e-ink panel?

No. It is what makes this look like a picture frame instead of a screen, but fugleramme serves the same image over HTTP either way - on an HDMI display straight from the Pi, or from any device on the network. See Showing the frame without the e-ink panel.

Which Raspberry Pi?

A Pi 5 for the full build, because BirdNET-Go classifies around the clock. For a frame that only draws, any 40-pin Pi does - people are running a Pi 4 and a Pi Zero 2 W, and render time varies by model. See Frame only.

Can I use a smaller or a different Inky?

Yes. Other Inky Impressions work and fugleramme reads the resolution automatically. You lose size and sharpness, and below 13.3" the birds get small fast - so cap how many birds land on the page, under Species on the page. See Alternatives.

What does it cost?

The panel is most of it. Here are some rough ranges (prices fluctuate a lot at the time of writing):

Build Roughly
Full 13.3" - Pi 5, cooler, PSU, card, Inky Impression 13.3", Clippy EM272Z1 + sound card, frame €380-450 / $420-500
Full build, cheaper - the same on a Pi 4, with an Inky Impression 7.3" and a USB lavalier mic €170-220 / $190-240
Frame only, reading a BirdNET-Go you already run - Pi Zero 2 W, PSU, card, panel, frame €110-270 / $120-300, depending on the panel

Hardware has what I actually use, recommend and why.

Will it work where I live?

BirdNET works basically everywhere. The artwork is the limiting factor. Northern/Central Europe is covered the best right now, but wider support is in the works.

If your local regulars never show up, open a Missing bird issue - that is how the list grows. Better still, cut one yourself and open a PR.

Why isn't a bird I heard on the page?

Three possibilities, in the order worth checking:

  • There is no artwork for it. The admin page greys the species out with "no art", and the log names them. See Adding artwork.
journalctl -u fugleramme-frame | grep "No artwork"

journalctl -u fugleramme-frame | grep "Not a bird"
  • BirdNET-Go never recorded it. Open its dashboard on :8090. If it isn't there either, it's a detection question rather than a frame one.

I'm getting birds that can't possibly be here

That is BirdNET-Go's side, and mostly comes down to your location, gear and its confidence thresholds - see Avoiding false detections. Marking a detection as a false positive in BirdNET-Go also removes it from fugleramme.

What about bats, frogs and squirrels?

Fugleramme currently only draws birds - it's a bird frame, and there isn't the historic plate coverage to do the rest justice. See Species on the page.

Let me know if you have some good ideas for how to get other animals up too.

Which microphone?

Any USB mic works, but it's worth spending a little extra on, and it needs a windshield and some weather protection - see Microphones.

Where does the artwork come from?

Public-domain natural-history plates, mostly from Wikimedia Commons and rawpixel. Every cut-out records the plate it came from in its style's manifest.json, and the works and their terms are listed in ATTRIBUTION.md.

Is any of the included art AI-generated?

No. Every bird is cut from a plate drawn by a real person.

AI tools for cleaning up or editing a scan are fine. The art underneath has to be human-made and properly attributed.

Can I use my own images?

Yes. Drop them in assets/artwork/custom/ on your own frame and they are picked up, named for the scientific name BirdNET-Go uses. Nothing is checked there - it's your frame, put what you like on it.

Artwork meant for the repo has a higher bar - see Artwork.

Can I point it at a BirdNET-Go I already run?

Yes. It can be on the same machine or anywhere on your network, so the frame can hang in a nice room while the mic sits wherever the birds are. Set it during the install, later in the settings, or with an environment variable in the container.

Already using :8080 for BirdNET-Go? The installer lets you put the frame on another port.

Where are the settings?

On http://<host>.local:8080/admin. The root path is the kiosk, which is deliberately just the picture.

What's planned?

The open issues are the roadmap. Anything still half-formed is in Discussions.

I have a question, a bug, or something to contribute

  • Something is broken - see Troubleshooting, then a bug report
  • A question, an idea, or a frame you have built - Discussions
  • A fix, a doc change, or a bird you have cut - open a PR, no issue needed

This is a hobby project maintained by one person, so replies may take a few days. CONTRIBUTING.md has the details.