Show Bird Pi detections in Home Assistant

Introduction

In the world of bird enthusiasts and nature lovers, BirdPi offers an exciting opportunity to connect with the avian wonders around us. Whether you’re a seasoned birder or a curious beginner, setting up BirdPi can enhance your bird-watching experience. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps to configure BirdPi for notifications and integration with Home Assistant.

Apprise

Apprise, a versatile notification tool, will help you stay informed about the feathered visitors in your vicinity.

To set up Apprise for BirdPi, follow these instructions (replace the placeholders with your actual mqtt details):

mqtt://[username]:[password]@[ip-address]:1883/birdpi/apprise

Make sure to set the Apprise title as empty and the body as follows:

This configuration ensures that I receive detailed and informative notifications whenever BirdPi detects a bird.

Home Assistant Setup

To seamlessly integrate BirdPi into your smart home ecosystem, I recommend setting up Home Assistant with the following components:

MQTT Sensor

Create an MQTT sensor by adding the following configuration to your mqtt.yaml:

Bird Image Display

Display images of the detected birds using the ‘image’ component. Add this configuration to your image.yaml:

Lovelace Card

Create a Lovelace card with a mushroom theme. You’ll need mushroom and stack-in cards to replicate this setup. Add the following configuration to your lovelace.yaml:

With these configurations, you’ll have a comprehensive BirdPi setup that not only detects birds but also provides a delightful experience through Home Assistant.