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

Australian Swiftlet

Aerodramus terraereginae

The Australian Swiftlet is a small, aerial insectivore endemic to Queensland, renowned for its specialized ability to navigate dark caves using echolocation.

What it sounds like

High-pitched, metallic 'cheep' or 'chip' notes in flight, and rapid clicking sounds for biosonar inside caves.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:27

Rec. Peter Boesman · AustraliaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is one of only a few bird species in the world capable of echolocation, using audible clicks to navigate pitch-black nesting sites.
The species builds cup-shaped nests on cave walls and ceilings using a mixture of hardened saliva, grasses, and feathers.
Australian Swiftlets are almost entirely aerial, feeding on the wing and even drinking by skimming the surface of water bodies.
They are often seen in large, mixed-species flocks with other swifts and swallows during the wet season.
Two distinct subspecies are recognized, divided geographically between the Cape York Peninsula and the more southern coastal ranges.

Habitat

Tropical rainforests, coastal gorges, and offshore islands with access to deep caves or rock crevices.

Range

Northeastern Queensland, Australia, ranging from the Torres Strait south to the Whitsunday Islands.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Ameline SwiftletAerodramus amelis Atiu SwiftletAerodramus sawtelli Bare-legged SwiftletAerodramus nuditarsus Black-nest SwiftletAerodramus maximus Caroline Islands SwiftletAerodramus inquietus Himalayan SwiftletAerodramus brevirostris Indian SwiftletAerodramus unicolor Mariana SwiftletAerodramus bartschi

Heard a Australian Swiftlet?

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