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

Bar-breasted Firefinch

Lagonosticta rufopicta

A small, social estrildid finch distinguished by its pinkish-red plumage and characteristic fine white barring on the breast. It is commonly found foraging on the ground in pairs or small family groups across sub-Saharan Africa.

What it sounds like

A sharp, metallic 'tink-tink' or 'pink' contact call, accompanied by a high-pitched, warbling song.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Bram Piot · BeninCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is one of the few firefinch species where both sexes exhibit prominent white spotting or 'barring' on the breast.
The species is a primary host for the Wilson's Indigobird, a brood parasite that mimics the firefinch's specific nestling mouth patterns.
Unlike many drier-country firefinches, this species is closely associated with water and is rarely found far from riverine systems.
They are exceptionally tame birds, often colonizing gardens and nesting in the thatch of human dwellings.
Their diet is specialized toward tiny grass seeds, though they supplement this with termites and other small insects during the breeding season.

Habitat

Moist savannas, riverine thickets, marshes, and garden shrubbery.

Range

Widespread across West and Central Africa, from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African FirefinchLagonosticta rubricata Black-bellied FirefinchLagonosticta rara Black-faced FirefinchLagonosticta larvata Brown FirefinchLagonosticta nitidula Chad FirefinchLagonosticta umbrinodorsalis Jameson's FirefinchLagonosticta rhodopareia Mali FirefinchLagonosticta virata Red-billed FirefinchLagonosticta senegala

Heard a Bar-breasted Firefinch?

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Identify a bird by its song