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

Barred Becard

Pachyramphus versicolor

The Barred Becard is a small, strikingly patterned suboscine passerine native to the high-elevation montane forests of Central and South America. It is easily identified by its fine horizontal barring and significant sexual dimorphism.

What it sounds like

A thin, high-pitched, and slightly metallic series of descending whistles, often transcribed as 'tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-tseee'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · EcuadorCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males exhibit bold black-and-white transverse barring on their underparts and a distinctive yellow-green wash on the face and neck.
Females possess a very different plumage from males, featuring rufous wings, an olive-green back, and a yellow-green chest with fainter barring.
They construct large, messy, globular nests made of moss, lichen, and fibers that are often suspended from the tips of high tree branches.
Unlike many of its relatives in the genus Pachyramphus that prefer lowlands, this species is specialized for high-altitude cloud forest environments.
The species is frequently observed as a core member of mixed-species foraging flocks, moving through the canopy with tanagers and wood-warblers.

Habitat

Humid montane evergreen forests, cloud forests, and forest edges, typically at elevations between 1,500 and 3,000 meters.

Range

Highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama, and the Andes from Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-and-white BecardPachyramphus albogriseus Black-capped BecardPachyramphus marginatus Chestnut-crowned BecardPachyramphus castaneus Cinereous BecardPachyramphus rufus Cinnamon BecardPachyramphus cinnamomeus Crested BecardPachyramphus validus Cryptic BecardPachyramphus salvini Glossy-backed BecardPachyramphus surinamus

Heard a Barred Becard?

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Identify a bird by its song