iNatSpectro

iNatSpectro v4.3.4 — Visualise Nature's Sounds on iNaturalist

This extension adds a dynamic spectrogram visualisation beneath audio recordings on iNaturalist observation pages. Whether you're identifying frog calls, bat echolocation, bird songs, insect stridulation, or cetacean vocalisations, iNatSpectro lets you see what you're hearing — instantly, in your browser, with no data sent anywhere.

🎧 Why use it? Many wildlife sounds are far easier to interpret with visual context — especially in noisy environments or when calls are tricky to distinguish by ear. iNatSpectro helps researchers, identifiers, and curious naturalists analyse recordings at a glance, right where the observation lives.

🔬 How it works The extension uses the Web Audio API to render a spectrogram whenever you play an audio file on an iNaturalist observation page. It loads automatically and blends seamlessly with the existing layout. All processing happens locally in your browser — nothing is collected or transmitted.

🔍 Features in v4.3.4:

• Automatic spectrogram loading on observation and Identify pages, including full support for the Identify page's observation modal • Eight perceptually uniform colour maps — Viridis, Magma, Plasma, Inferno, Cividis, Mako, Rocket, Turbo — plus Greyscale • Full spectrum analysis including ultrasonic frequencies up to 384 kHz for bat research • Automatic taxon-based profile selection (bat, bird, frog, insect, cetacean, general) with improved sub-profile routing accuracy across all four specialist groups • FFT window size adjustable in real time alongside all other analysis controls • Multiple frequency scales — logarithmic, linear, and mel (perceptual) • Smooth zoom from 100% to 2000% with progressive high-resolution rendering • Spectrogram export — save spectrograms as PNG images, respecting recording licences 🖼 • iNaturalist Global Network support — works on New Zealand, Canada, Sweden, Australia, Argentina, Uruguay, BioDiversity4All, and more • GUANO metadata support — reads embedded bat detector metadata from audio files • Sound annotations saved as iNaturalist Observation Fields, keeping your work right on the observation record • Edit mode for annotations — marks are protected from accidental changes until you explicitly enable editing, with confirmation required before any deletion • Training dataset contribution (opt-in only) — nothing is ever sent without your action • Configurable high-resolution rendering (50–800 pixels/second) with automatic performance optimisation • Intelligent LRU caching for smooth performance across long sessions • Peak decimation rendering — no signal energy is ever dropped, even for very short calls • Percentile-based normalisation for robust dynamic range across varied recordings • Sharp rendering on high-DPI and retina displays • No tracking, lightweight — built specifically for the iNaturalist community 🌿

🧬 Perfect for: • Citizen scientists and professional biologists • Bat, frog, bird, insect, and cetacean call analysis • Educators and ecoacoustics enthusiasts • Research-grade bioacoustic work up to 384 kHz • Anyone who wants to bring audio observations to life visually

🚀 What's New in v4.3.4: • PNG export now respects recording licences — exported spectrograms honour the licence terms of the underlying audio 🖼 • Updated privacy wording and Privacy page for greater clarity

Also recent in v4.3.2: • Sub-profile routing substantially improved for Bats, Insects, Frogs, and Cetaceans using a validated, annotation-grounded method • Cetacean routing is now taxonomy-based (Mysticeti vs Odontoceti), reflecting genuine biological differences in vocal anatomy rather than a frequency estimate • FFT size promoted to a live parameter — adjust it in real time alongside all other controls

And in v4.3.1: • Edit mode keeps your marks safe from stray clicks; delete now requires confirmation 🛡 • Toolbar reshuffle for a cleaner layout that no longer wraps as button labels change • Redesigned welcome modal with clearer structure and a direct link to the usage docs