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-winged Oriole

Icterus maculialatus

A striking black-and-yellow songbird of the Central American highlands, distinguished by the unique white spotting on its wings that forms its namesake bar.

What it sounds like

A series of clear, liquid whistles mixed with raspy, chattering 'chuck' notes and occasional wheezy phrases.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:40

Rec. Alfonso Auerbach · HondurasCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

The species name 'maculialatus' literally means 'spotted-winged,' referring to the large white spots on the greater secondary coverts.
Unlike many other oriole species, it exhibits minimal sexual dimorphism, with both males and females possessing similar black hoods and bright yellow plumage.
It is primarily restricted to the Pacific slope highlands, rarely descending below elevations of 800 meters.
The nest is a long, pendulous bag woven from fibers, typically suspended from the outermost tips of tree branches to avoid arboreal predators.
They are frequent visitors to flowering trees, using their specialized bills to consume both nectar and the insects attracted to the blooms.

Habitat

Humid to semi-arid montane forests, oak-pine woodlands, and shaded coffee plantations.

Range

Southern Mexico (Chiapas), Guatemala, and El Salvador.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Altamira OrioleIcterus gularis Audubon's OrioleIcterus graduacauda Bahama OrioleIcterus northropi Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula Black-backed OrioleIcterus abeillei Black-cowled OrioleIcterus prosthemelas Black-vented OrioleIcterus wagleri Bullock's OrioleIcterus bullockii

Heard a Bar-winged Oriole?

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