The use of Sonaves hardware and software is currently limited to the Noctaves device network and a small group of selected partners.
We're actively testing and refining both the hardware and the platform, and we'll share regular progress updates on our blog.
At this stage, we're focused on building and validating the system before opening it up more widely. Once hardware and software trials are complete, we plan to make Sonaves available to a broader audience.
If you'd like to know more, .
Nocturnal migration monitoring (NocMig) is not new. There are already many ways to record nocturnal bird calls — from simple DIY setups to sophisticated recorders. So why another system?
If you run a single device in your backyard, the traditional workflow works well: step outside in the morning, remove the SD card, and process the recordings. Or you may be using a more advanced setup that automatically processes audio and allows local downloads (for example, systems like BirdNET-Pi).
But migration is a scale phenomenon. It becomes truly meaningful when you zoom out.
Knowing that a few Redwings passed over one location can be exciting for a local birder — but deeper insight emerges when observations are combined across many locations.
Patterns appear when data is viewed across:
Suddenly the question is no longer what flew over my patch? It becomes:
Where is migration happening tonight?
How is it moving across the landscape?
What patterns emerge across the network?
Sonaves makes this big-picture view possible by enabling the deployment of units across multiple locations.
Consider installations at schools, nature reserves, eco-lodges, or research stations:
Relying on teachers, wardens, or staff to manage this workflow consistently is challenging. While they may value the project, they are rarely trained or available to handle the technical side.
Sonaves removes this complexity.
Once installed, devices upload and process recordings automatically. Users access results through the web — no SD cards, no manual uploads. This enables:
Teachers can show students last night's migration activity — locally and across the wider network.
Visitors during the day can hear what passed overhead overnight.
Guests can follow migration activity from their phones and stay connected long after their stay.
Multiple stations can be monitored and compared in one place.
DIY solutions are creative and valuable. People have used everything from watering pots to improvised parabolic dishes. They work — and they are part of the charm of experimentation.
Sonaves takes a different approach: a purpose-built system designed for reliable, safe, and consistent recording.
Sonaves works best where electricity and Wi-Fi or 4G connectivity are available. It is not intended for very remote deployments without connectivity.
Field recording gets technical fast — from sampling rates to dish size and mic placement. Sonaves skips the complexity. No buckets, pots, or plastic wrap. Unbox it, plug it in, and let it listen.
Pre-configured Raspberry Pi with Sonaves software, optimized microphone, weatherproof enclosure, and power supply. Everything tested and ready to deploy.
No full disks. No card swapping. No file copying. Sonaves processes data on site and sends only what matters. Install it once and let it run.
Automatic uploads over WiFi or mobile data. Remote monitoring lets you check device health without visiting the site. Get alerts if anything needs attention.
Edge processing filters out most noise automatically. But nature isn't perfect — a barking dog can sound like an owl, and a pond frog can pretend to be a moorhen. Fine-tune filters and rules to reduce false detections and stay focused on birds.
Create custom rules based on time, frequency, and confidence levels. The AI learns from your corrections and gets better at distinguishing birds from background noise.
Most nights are quiet. Some nights are unforgettable. Sonaves delivers detections as they happen — so when migration peaks, you don't miss it.
Configure notifications for rare species or high activity. Wake up to a summary of the night's highlights, or get live updates on your phone as birds pass overhead.
Totals are nice. Sounds are better. Share detections and recordings easily — with classrooms, tour groups, guests, or your birding friends.
Generate embeddable widgets for your website, QR codes for nature trails, or live dashboards for visitor centres. Perfect for education and engagement.
Build your own sound library. Compare your recordings with reference calls and improve detection over time — night after night.
Access spectrograms, listen to recordings side by side with reference calls, and track your identification skills. Export data for research or personal archives.
| Parabolic dish | 3D-printed, ASA (UV resistant), 28cm (shown here) / 40cm / 60cm diameter |
| Recording & Processing | Raspberry Pi 4 2GB |
| Microphone | We are trying multiple setups: Shown here, Clippy EM272 |
| A2D card | We are working with multiple units (Behringer UMC22, Scarlett Solo, PiSound HAT, PiSound HAT micro) |
Web interface description goes here.
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