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

Bates's Swift

Apus batesi

A small, dark, and elusive forest swift restricted to the tropical rainforests of West and Central Africa.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, thin buzzing or twittering scream, typical of the genus but softer.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:31

Rec. Phil Gregory · GhanaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is one of the smallest members of the genus Apus, typically measuring only 10 centimeters in length.
The species is named after George Latimer Bates, an American naturalist who extensively studied the avifauna of West Africa.
It is distinguished from the similar Little Swift by its deeply forked tail and lack of a white rump.
The species is highly aerial and rarely seen perched, spending most of its life hunting insects above the forest canopy.
Its breeding habits remain largely a mystery to science, though it is believed to nest in tree hollows or rock crevices.

Habitat

Lowland primary tropical rainforests and forest edges.

Range

Discontinuous distribution across West and Central Africa, including Cameroon, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African SwiftApus barbatus Blyth's SwiftApus leuconyx Bradfield's SwiftApus bradfieldi Cape Verde SwiftApus alexandri Common SwiftApus apus Cook's SwiftApus cooki Dark-rumped SwiftApus acuticauda Forbes-Watson's SwiftApus berliozi

Heard a Bates's Swift?

Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.

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