A birdhouse camera livestream with motion detection and mobile push notifications.
5/1/25 - Since I'll be away from home this summer, I've added a libcamera + ffmpeg implementation to livestream to YouTube. See stream_youtube.sh
6/25/23 - Replaced MediaMTX service with libcamera + VLC implementaion. See stream_local.sh for RTSP streaming command.
As of 6/6/23 the streaming service has been transferred from flask deployment to a local RTSP stream. This is done using MediaMTX. Similar to the flask deployment, this allows for viewing using VLC and HTTP (web browser).
This decision was made as the motion detection has served its purpose in the early stages of birdcam activity. With a full family now in the house, there is less need for detection and an emphasis on consistent low-latency streaming, which MediaMTX provides.
In order to comply with the weak compute power of the raspberry pi, the motion detection is triggered by a simple subtraction of consecutive frames as shown below. The mean difference in pixels triggers the motion threshold.
- Download the Pushover App from the app store.
- Log in using my credentials
- Name your device, i.e. henry-phone
- Await the notifications!
The birdcam has its first visitor. Caught perfectly by the motion detection :D
Sneak peek of nest construction
Eggcellent news, we are housing a bluebird family
The babies have escaped their eggs
More baby action + mini afros
They are growing up fast and attempting to open their eyes
Full family of feathers
4 of the babies have officially left the nest! Only a single runt remains with mama...
Success!! All the fledglings are flying out in the backyard
Until the next family arrives...
The bluebird nest was cleared out and a female carolina wren is our newest inhabitant. The four eggs were laid a few days ago and will take another week or so to hatch.
Some shots of the three baby wrens. Unfortunately one of the eggs did not hatch. The trio is fledging quickly!
It's been an uneventful summer for the birdcam, to say the least. Early June saw a potential bluebird nesting thwarted by a violent sparrow, and July was entirely devoid of activity. Finally, a couple weeks ago, we secured our first inhabitant of the summer: a downy woodpecker. They have adopted the birdcam as a roosting box. They dwell from dawn to dusk and often spend time cleaning their feathers before dozing off.
It did not take long for avian action to begin in 2025. Just after installing the birdcam for the third season, a pair of bluebirds were spotted scouting the historied property. Much like the inaugural inhabitants from 2023, these guys are eastern bluebirds. The parents are currently locked in on nest construction, preparing for an eventful start to the summer.
It's a starting five for the NY Bluebirds as they look to recapture their performance from the 2023 season. The eggs were laid on consecutive days, with the final one on 5/1. Just this morning, the first set of beaks broke through their shells. It didn't take long for them to open their mouths either. Three babies remain in their eggs as the fledging countdown is ready to begin.
Two weeks and some change later, the crew is almost ready to take flight. All 5 eggs hatched successfully and the babies adapted well to life in the nest. Each day they grow more curious about the magical opening in the house and continue to rev up their wings. We are expecting the first takeoff any day now. Feathers crossed everyone departs smoothly.
10-day-old squad
Saying hello to the livestream
Well, it didn't take much longer for the babies to find their courage. Just one day after the previous update, all five bluebirds have taken to the skies. Another success!! Thanks to the YouTube livestream, the exact moments of graduation were captured on video.
departure.mp4
The time between the first and last departure was only 7 minutes! This family is in sync.