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

Band-backed Wren

Campylorhynchus zonatus

A large, gregarious wren characterized by its heavily barred back and bold, social behavior in tropical canopies. It is frequently seen in noisy family groups moving through epiphytic growth.

What it sounds like

A loud, harsh, and rhythmic series of raspy notes like 'churr-churr-churr' or 'kwek-kwek-kwek,' often delivered as a synchronized group chorus.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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

Field notes

It practices cooperative breeding, where non-breeding helpers from previous broods assist the parents in raising new young.
Groups build large, globular nests with side entrances that are used for both breeding and communal roosting throughout the year.
It is significantly larger than most north-temperate wrens, reaching lengths of up to 20 centimeters.
The species is highly social, typically found in active family parties of three to twelve individuals.
They are adept foragers that specialize in probing bromeliads, mosses, and other epiphytes for insects and spiders.

Habitat

Humid evergreen forests, woodland edges, and shaded plantations with tall trees and abundant epiphytes.

Range

South-central Mexico through Central America to northwestern Colombia and western Ecuador.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bicolored WrenCampylorhynchus griseus Boucard's WrenCampylorhynchus jocosus Cactus WrenCampylorhynchus brunneicapillus Fasciated WrenCampylorhynchus fasciatus Giant WrenCampylorhynchus chiapensis Gray-barred WrenCampylorhynchus megalopterus Rufous-backed WrenCampylorhynchus capistratus Russet-naped WrenCampylorhynchus humilis

Heard a Band-backed Wren?

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