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

Angola Swallow

Hirundo angolensis

The Angola Swallow is a small, rufous-throated hirundine native to sub-Saharan Africa, closely resembling the Barn Swallow but with significantly shorter tail streamers.

What it sounds like

A soft, musical twittering song and sharp, high-pitched 'tsip' or 'wit-wit' contact calls.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Dries Van de Loock · ZambiaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Distinguished by its deep chestnut-rufous forehead, chin, and upper breast which extends further down than in similar species.
Unlike its Palearctic relatives, it is largely sedentary or an intra-African migrant rather than a long-distance traveler.
Constructs an open, cup-shaped nest made of mud pellets reinforced with grass and lined with soft feathers.
Displays a steel-blue iridescent gloss on its upperparts, contrasting with its dusky-grey underparts.
Frequently associates with other swallow and martin species while foraging for insects over water bodies or open fields.

Habitat

Open grasslands, forest edges, and wetlands, often occurring near human settlements and infrastructure.

Range

Central and Southern Africa, including Angola, the DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and northern Namibia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Barn SwallowHirundo rustica Black-and-rufous SwallowHirundo nigrorufa Ethiopian SwallowHirundo aethiopica Hill SwallowHirundo domicola Montane Blue SwallowHirundo atrocaerulea Pacific SwallowHirundo javanica Pearl-breasted SwallowHirundo dimidiata Pied-winged SwallowHirundo leucosoma

Heard a Angola Swallow?

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