How accurate is Birdsong's bird identifier?

It runs Google's Perch, a research-grade acoustic model covering nearly 15,000 species. When a call is ambiguous, we say so honestly and let you record a second clip to confirm, rather than guessing.

Is my recording stored?

No. Your audio is used to identify the bird in the moment and isn't saved to our servers. The birds you confirm are kept as cards in your own field journal; the recordings themselves are not.

Is the bird identifier free?

Yes — identify birds every day for free, no account required. Birdsong Pro ($3.99/mo or $39.99/yr) unlocks unlimited IDs, full field guides, your growing collection, and shareable Field Report cards.

Do I need an account or internet to identify a bird?

You'll need a connection to identify, since the AI runs in the cloud. No account is needed to try it — sign in with Google or email to save your field journal and sync it across devices.

Birdsong field guide

Abyssinian White-eye

Zosterops abyssinicus

A small, lively passerine easily identified by its conspicuous white eye-ring and yellowish-green plumage, common throughout Northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, liquid 'cheep' or 'twee' contact call and a soft, warbling song of varied trills.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Peter Boesman · OmanCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Possesses a characteristic ring of tiny white feathers around the eye which gives the species its common name.
Primarily insectivorous but also frequently visits flowering trees for nectar and consumes small succulent fruits.
Highly social and often found in active, fast-moving foraging flocks outside of the breeding season.
Displays notable adaptation to arid environments, occurring in drier scrublands than many other African white-eye species.
The species is subdivided into several subspecies, such as Z. a. arabs, which show variations in the intensity of yellow on the plumage.

Habitat

Dry woodland, acacia scrub, gardens, and highland forests up to 3,000 meters.

Range

Northeast Africa (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan) and the southern Arabian Peninsula.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Aldabra White-eyeZosterops aldabrensis Ambon White-eyeZosterops kuehni Angola White-eyeZosterops kasaicus Anjouan White-eyeZosterops anjuanensis Annobon White-eyeZosterops griseovirescens Ashy-bellied White-eyeZosterops citrinella Australian Yellow White-eyeZosterops luteus Banded White-eyeZosterops vellalavella

Heard a Abyssinian White-eye?

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Identify a bird by its song