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

Acadian Flycatcher

Empidonax virescens

A small, olive-toned tyrant flycatcher of the deep forest interior, best identified by its explosive vocalizations and affinity for shaded ravines.

What it sounds like

A sharp, explosive, two-syllable 'peet-sa!' or 'piz-zik!' with an emphatic upward inflection.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:16

Rec. Andrés Mauricio López · ColombiaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Constructs a distinctive, 'messy' cup nest with long, trailing streamers of dried blossoms that dangle below the branch.
Commonly chooses nesting sites on horizontal limbs hanging directly over moving water or woodland streams.
Highly sensitive to forest fragmentation, it is often used as an indicator species for the health of mature deciduous ecosystems.
Unlike many other Empidonax flycatchers, it has a notably wider bill and longer wings relative to its body size.
Maintains a strict insectivorous diet, capturing prey via 'aerial hawking' or gleaning insects from the undersides of leaves.

Habitat

Mature deciduous forests, bottomland hardwoods, and hemlock-lined ravines.

Range

Breeds in the Eastern United States and Southern Ontario; winters in Central and northwestern South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum Black-capped FlycatcherEmpidonax atriceps Buff-breasted FlycatcherEmpidonax fulvifrons Dusky FlycatcherEmpidonax oberholseri Gray FlycatcherEmpidonax wrightii Hammond's FlycatcherEmpidonax hammondii Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimus Pine FlycatcherEmpidonax affinis

Heard a Acadian Flycatcher?

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