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-rumped Swift

Chaetura spinicaudus

The Band-rumped Swift is a small, aerial insectivore characterized by its dark plumage and a contrasting pale band across the rump. It is a common sight over tropical lowland forests, often seen in fast-moving communal flocks.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, rapid series of twittering or chattering notes, often described as 'chi-chi-chi'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 1:01

Rec. Alexandre Renaudier · French GuianaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Features specialized stiffened tail feathers with protruding shafts that allow it to prop itself vertically against surfaces.
Builds a small half-cup nest of twigs glued together with saliva, usually hidden inside hollow trees or vertical shafts.
The species is highly gregarious and frequently joins mixed-species foraging flocks with other swifts and swallows.
Its flight pattern is exceptionally rapid and erratic, consisting of short bursts of wingbeats followed by brief glides.
Unlike many other members of the Chaetura genus, its white rump band is typically broad and clearly defined, aiding field identification.

Habitat

Tropical lowland evergreen forests, forest edges, and secondary growth woodlands.

Range

Central and South America, ranging from Panama south through the Amazon Basin to southern Brazil.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Ashy-tailed SwiftChaetura andrei Chapman's SwiftChaetura chapmani Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagica Costa Rican SwiftChaetura fumosa Gray-rumped SwiftChaetura cinereiventris Lesser Antillean SwiftChaetura martinica Pale-rumped SwiftChaetura egregia Short-tailed SwiftChaetura brachyura

Heard a Band-rumped Swift?

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