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

Black-and-rufous Swallow

Hirundo nigrorufa

A small, striking swallow of south-central Africa, characterized by its glossy blue-black upperparts and rich, uniform rufous underparts.

What it sounds like

A faint, high-pitched twittering song and short 'tsit' contact calls.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Dries Van de Loock · ZambiaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is unique among the genus Hirundo for lacking the elongated outer tail streamers common to many of its relatives.
The species is a habitat specialist, almost exclusively restricted to seasonally flooded grasslands known as dambos.
Nesting behavior is highly specialized, with the birds typically using subterranean cavities such as aardvark burrows or holes in termite mounds.
Unlike many other swallow species, it is considered largely sedentary or only locally nomadic rather than long-distance migratory.
It often perches low on grass stems or termite mounds, scanning for insects to hunt in its characteristic low-level 'rowing' flight.

Habitat

Seasonally flooded dambos, marshes, and open grasslands near water.

Range

South-central Africa, including parts of Angola, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Angola SwallowHirundo angolensis Barn SwallowHirundo rustica Ethiopian SwallowHirundo aethiopica Hill SwallowHirundo domicola Montane Blue SwallowHirundo atrocaerulea Pacific SwallowHirundo javanica Pearl-breasted SwallowHirundo dimidiata Pied-winged SwallowHirundo leucosoma

Heard a Black-and-rufous Swallow?

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