I wanted a small, dedicated display for the bird detections around my yard. BirdNET-Go was already doing the difficult work of listening and identifying species, but I wanted to see the results somewhere without opening a browser or checking a dashboard.
The result is Yard Birds, a firmware project for the 2.8-inch ESP32-2432S028 Cheap Yellow Display, commonly called the CYD.
The complete source and build instructions are available on GitHub.
What it displays
The normal screen is a portrait-oriented list of the species detected that day. Each row shows the common name, the number of detections, and BirdNET-Go’s identification confidence.
The display pulls the daily species data from BirdNET-Go’s HTTP API. It does not have a microphone and it does not perform the bird identification itself. BirdNET-Go remains the detection system; the CYD is a small network display for the results.
When a new species is identified, the display switches to a full-screen image for three seconds. It then returns to the daily list. The image comes from BirdNET-Go using the detected bird’s scientific name, so the device can show a useful photo without storing a large bird-photo library on the device.
Keeping the firmware reusable
The firmware does not contain my network credentials or a hard-coded installation address. On first boot, the CYD provides a setup portal where the user enters the local WiFi details and the BirdNET-Go server address. Optional HTTP Basic Authentication fields are available for installations that protect the BirdNET-Go interface.
The settings are saved on the device. After setup, it boots directly into the bird display rather than opening the configuration portal every time. A SETUP button remains available in the header if the server details need to be changed later.
The firmware is built with PlatformIO. The repository documents the board-specific details, including the touch calibration sequence and the current esptool command for flashing a board from a separate computer.
A simple enclosure
For the physical installation, I used a slim, minimal 3D-printed case designed for the CYD. It mounts flat on a Skadis board, which gives it a convenient place next to the wall art and keeps the display off the desk.
The rear photo shows the printed plate and the four mounting points. The enclosure model is available from MakerWorld.
The useful part is the constraint
This is a good example of a project where the hardware is not trying to replace the main system. BirdNET-Go already does the difficult work. The CYD only needs to do a few things well: connect to the local network, fetch the current list, show readable numbers, and call attention to a new identification.
That makes the device useful without turning it into another general-purpose dashboard. It has one job, it fits in a small printed case, and it gives the bird detections a physical place in the room.
If you want to build one, start with the Yard Birds GitHub repository. It includes the firmware, setup instructions, board-specific notes, and the photos of the finished installation shown here.