BirdNet MCP Server

Exposes BirdNet-Pi data and functionality through a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server.

Remote serverstreamable-httpPython 3

What is the BirdNet MCP server?

If you already use BirdNet, the birdnet mcp server is the piece that lets your assistant work with it directly. Exposes BirdNet-Pi data and functionality through a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server.

What the server does

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for BirdNET-Pi integration. Provides tools to query bird detection data, statistics, audio recordings, activity patterns, and reports from a local BirdNET-Pi installation.

  • Bird detection data retrieval with date and species filtering
  • Detection statistics and analysis
  • Audio recording access (base64 or buffer)
  • Daily activity patterns with hourly breakdowns
  • HTML and JSON report generation
  • Dual transport: stdio (default) and streamable-http

Available tools

The toolset is worth reading before you wire it up, because it tells you what the integration is really for:

  • get_detections — Get bird detections filtered by date range and optional species. - start_date (required): Start date in YYYY-MM-DD format - end_date (required): End
  • get_stats — Get aggregate detection statistics for a time period. - period (required): day, week, month, or all - min_confidence (optional): Minimum confidence
  • get_audio — Retrieve the audio recording for a specific bird detection. - filename (required): Audio filename from a detection record - format (optional): base64
  • get_activity — Get hourly bird activity patterns for a specific day. - date (required): Date in YYYY-MM-DD format - species (optional): Species name filter
  • generate_report — Generate a detection report for a date range. - start_date (required): Report start date - end_date (required): Report end date - format (optional)

Credentials and setup notes

Configuration is passed through the environment: MCP_HTTP_HOST. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.

  • Python 3.10+ - MCP Python SDK >= 1.26.0

Installation

Because this one is hosted, setup is mostly authentication — you point your client at the endpoint and approve access. Nothing runs on your machine, so there is no runtime to keep patched.

Where it fits

This sits in the developer tooling group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. BirdNet's toolset — get_detections, get_stats, get_audio and 2 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by DMontgomery40; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

This entry was verified against BirdNet's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.

Worth knowing first

  • Your data travels to the provider's service, so the usual questions apply about what you send and what they retain.
  • Keep per-call confirmation enabled while you learn its behaviour; it is the cheapest safeguard you have.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
get_detectionsGet bird detections filtered by date range and optional species. - start_date (required): Start date in YYYY-MM-DD format - end_date (required): End date in YYYY-MM-DD format - species (optional): Species name filter (pa
get_statsGet aggregate detection statistics for a time period. - period (required): day, week, month, or all - min_confidence (optional): Minimum confidence threshold 0.0-1.0 (default: 0.0)
get_audioRetrieve the audio recording for a specific bird detection. - filename (required): Audio filename from a detection record - format (optional): base64 (default) or buffer
get_activityGet hourly bird activity patterns for a specific day. - date (required): Date in YYYY-MM-DD format - species (optional): Species name filter
generate_reportGenerate a detection report for a date range. - start_date (required): Report start date - end_date (required): Report end date - format (optional): json (default) or html

How to install the BirdNet MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "birdnet": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-BirdNET-Pi-server/server.py"]
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

  • Python 3.10+ - MCP Python SDK >= 1.26.0
VariableDescriptionRequired
MCP_HTTP_HOSTEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use BirdNet to get detections.
  • Use BirdNet to get stats.
  • Use BirdNet to get audio.

Frequently asked questions

Key features include filtering bird detections by date and species, providing detection statistics, audio recording access, analyzing daily activity patterns, and generating reports.