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

Ashy-throated Parrotbill

Suthora alphonsiana

A small, social passerine of East Asia distinguished by its thick, parrot-like bill and characteristic pale greyish throat.

What it sounds like

A series of thin, high-pitched 'tsip' notes and a rapid, buzzy rattling chatter.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

Possesses a powerful, laterally compressed bill specialized for crushing seeds and prying insects from bamboo stems.
Highly gregarious outside the breeding season, often forming active flocks of 10 to 30 individuals.
Frequently hybridizes with the closely related Brown-winged Parrotbill where their ranges overlap in China.
Constructs deep, cup-shaped nests made of grass, bark strips, and cobwebs hidden low in dense vegetation.
Exhibits a distinctive 'crest-raising' behavior during social interactions and territorial displays.

Habitat

Subtropical shrubland, bamboo thickets, grassy forest edges, and secondary growth.

Range

Southwestern China (Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou) and northern Vietnam.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-throated ParrotbillSuthora nipalensis Brown-winged ParrotbillSuthora brunnea Eye-ringed ParrotbillSuthora ricketti Fulvous ParrotbillSuthora fulvifrons Golden ParrotbillSuthora verreauxi Gray-hooded ParrotbillSuthora zappeyi Pale-billed ParrotbillSuthora atrosuperciliaris Rusty-throated ParrotbillSuthora przewalskii

Heard a Ashy-throated Parrotbill?

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