For the point-by-point breakdown of the products discussed below, skip to the big table of data here which also includes much of the text below.
Currently there are two stand-alone, IoT [Internet of Things] products on the market that will identify the sounds/songs of birds and allow a user to view the data via an app and/or website. There are a few more devices in development, but at the time of my testing I only tested the two currently available: HaikuBox and the BirdWeather PUC. Both use the BirdNET research platform’s API and both have apps and websites. For testing purposes I setup devices outside my office window with a control of sorts being the existing YouTube stream of the garden that for the last two years has had its audio feed sucked up into the BirdWeather data world. I also setup a Haiku and BirdWeather PUC at the other end of the house yard near the garden shed on the edge of the south pasture.
 | We’ll start with the overview of what the Haikubox offers: the granular details are in the large table below, so this is just a summary. For anywhere between $199USD and $399USD (plus shipping) a user receives a stand alone device in a hard outer shell with an attached 110v power supply and cable. Bluetooth setup via a second app is quick and easy and both the primary app’s UI and the tandem website are pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate. After spending several weeks with the devices it became apparent early on that you really want to pay for a subscription if you are serious about tracking what birds visit and when —plus a paid sub gives you access to notifications. It’s really cool to have your phone or watch pop up a notification that a new species has been detected. I found the sensitivity levels for detections easy to understand but they don’t seem to translate into data exports — there is a score value included which is pretty much the same thing. Both the app and website have the ability to confirm detections or mark them as inaccurate. About the only serious drawback to the device is that it is not portable: while it’s bandwidth consumption is relatively low, it does want constant power and is thus not suitable for taking on a hike or birdwatching excursion. |
 | The BirdWeather PUC is a newer offering and started shipping late last year. It is KickStarterproject for which I was a top tier sponsor. As a result I received five of the units plus a few extra bits. Unlike the Haiku offerings there is no subscription fee and the unit costs $249USD plus shipping. The units are battery powered, although their low power draw means one can easily use the USB-C port to connect them to mains power or to an adequate solar/battery setup. Ideal for the mobile birder — although getting the settings right for the unit to behave as a persistent listening station takes a bit of work: at the time of writing this summary, even with the recommended Voltaic solar panel and battery setup none my units will maintain a persistent listening state**. In addition, configuration of a device is through a phone/tablet app, but because there is not a user login system in place there is quite a bit of fiddling required to allow a second phone/tablet to manage a unit. While the app does allow a user to view data — the BirdWeather website offers much more powerful filters, plus only via the website can one confirm/reject detections — something the Haiku app does include. ** 8/27/24 Addendum: it turns out the Voltaic unit was not functioning so once a new one arrives that issue should be resolved. |
In addition to the general product review, I created combined data exports, but gauging microphone and detection validity proves difficult because all tested setups suffer from a bit of lag and said lag varies by device/recording method. Sometime in the future I may run the devices side-by-side again and delve deeper into the recordings. That said, the exports are linked in the table below.
And with all that: you can check out the big table of data here.
Now if you want to know if there is a “winner”– right now, hands down I prefer the HaikuBoxes. They’re so easy to setup, so fun to use (the notifications on my watch are awesome although by the time I run through the house to get out near the garden shed because a White-Throated Swift has been detected, it’s not in sight.). The BirdWeather PUC isn’t a bad product and is awesome if you are out an about, but without a single account system it’s a bit limited. The devs are working on more and more features though, so it probably won’t be long before it is just as fun to use as the HaikuBox.