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 Swift

Apus barbatus

A medium-sized, soot-colored aerial specialist, the African Swift is closely related to the Common Swift but features a darker, more robust plumage and a distinctively pale throat. It is primarily found soaring in large, noisy flocks near high-altitude cliffs and mountainous terrain.

What it sounds like

A rapid, high-pitched, and piercing screaming whistle, often delivered in a series while in social flight.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:17

Rec. Albert Lastukhin · MadagascarCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

They are capable of remaining airborne for several months at a time, performing all vital functions including sleeping while in flight.
The species utilizes its own saliva as a binding agent to secure nest materials to the vertical surfaces of cave walls or cliff crevices.
Unlike many smaller swifts, this species can enter a state of torpor to survive sudden drops in temperature or periods of insect scarcity.
They are highly gregarious birds, often forming mixed-species foraging flocks with other swifts and swallows.
Their diet consists entirely of 'aerial plankton,' which includes a wide variety of flying insects and spiders caught at high altitudes.

Habitat

Montane forests, moist grasslands, and sheer rocky cliffs; increasingly found nesting in urban stone structures.

Range

Discontinuous distribution across Sub-Saharan Africa, spanning from Ethiopia and Eritrea to South Africa, including Madagascar and Comoros.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bates's SwiftApus batesi Blyth's SwiftApus leuconyx Bradfield's SwiftApus bradfieldi Cape Verde SwiftApus alexandri Common SwiftApus apus Cook's SwiftApus cooki Dark-rumped SwiftApus acuticauda Forbes-Watson's SwiftApus berliozi

Heard a African Swift?

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