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

African Swamphen

Porphyrio madagascariensis

The African Swamphen is a large, strikingly colorful rail featuring iridescent blue-purple plumage, a bronze-green back, and a massive red frontal shield. It is a conspicuous resident of African wetlands, often seen clambering through dense emergent vegetation.

What it sounds like

A loud and discordant repertoire of explosive shrieks, nasal honks, and mechanical-sounding grunts.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:47

Rec. Andrew Spencer · EthiopiaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

It was previously considered a subspecies of the Purple Swamphen before being elevated to full species status based on plumage and vocalizations.
The bird possesses exceptionally long, unwebbed toes that allow it to walk effortlessly over floating lily pads and flattened reeds.
Unlike many other waterbirds, it often uses its feet to grasp and hold food items while systematically stripping them with its powerful bill.
It is highly territorial and uses its brilliant white undertail coverts as a signaling device to communicate with others or ward off rivals.
Its diet is primarily herbivorous, focusing on the succulent bases of reeds and papyrus, though it will opportunistically take insects, eggs, and small vertebrates.

Habitat

Freshwater marshes, reedbeds, papyrus swamps, and the margins of slow-moving rivers or lakes.

Range

Sub-Saharan Africa, the Nile Valley in Egypt, and Madagascar.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Allen's GallinulePorphyrio alleni Australasian SwamphenPorphyrio melanotus Azure GallinulePorphyrio flavirostris Black-backed SwamphenPorphyrio indicus Gray-headed SwamphenPorphyrio poliocephalus Lord Howe SwamphenPorphyrio albus Marquesan SwamphenPorphyrio paepae New Caledonian GallinulePorphyrio kukwiedei

Heard a African Swamphen?

Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.

Identify a bird by its song