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

Alder Flycatcher

Empidonax alnorum

A small, insectivorous tyrant flycatcher nearly identical in appearance to the Willow Flycatcher, primarily distinguished by its 'free-beer' song and preference for boreal wetlands.

What it sounds like

A harsh, burry, three-syllable song often transcribed as 'free-beer!' or 'rrree-beea'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. David A. Brinkman · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Formerly conspecific with the Willow Flycatcher, they were officially recognized as separate species in 1973 due to differences in song and habitat.
Unlike many passerines, their vocalizations are innate rather than learned, meaning a bird raised in isolation will still produce the correct song.
It is a long-distance migrant, with some individuals traveling from the subarctic to the western Amazon basin twice a year.
The species is highly territorial during the breeding season, often using a 'tail-flicking' display to signal agitation to intruders.
Their nests are typically loose, bulky cups of grasses and bark strips placed low in deciduous shrubs, often overhanging water.

Habitat

Wet shrubby areas, alder thickets, willow bogs, and brushy edges of boreal forests.

Range

Breeds from Alaska and across Canada to the northeastern United States; winters in South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescens 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 Alder Flycatcher?

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