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-tawny Seedeater

Sporophila nigrorufa

The Black-and-tawny Seedeater is a small, visually striking member of the Thraupidae family, characterized by the male's bold contrast of black upperparts and warm cinnamon underparts. It is a specialist of seasonally flooded grasslands in the heart of South America.

What it sounds like

A sweet, rising sequence of clear, musical whistles followed by a short, complex warble.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Jeremy Minns · BrazilCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It displays high sexual dimorphism; males are bicolored black and tawny, while females are largely indistinguishable from other olive-brown Sporophila species.
The species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to habitat loss from agricultural expansion and the persistent threat of illegal trapping for the songbird trade.
It is a semi-nomadic species, moving locally to track the erratic seeding patterns of native grasses, particularly within the Paspalum genus.
During the breeding season, males establish small territories and sing from the highest available perches, such as tall grass stalks or small shrubs.
The population is highly concentrated in the Pantanal and surrounding ecoregions, making it sensitive to regional hydrological changes.

Habitat

Seasonally inundated tropical grasslands, wet savannas, and marshes with tall native grasses.

Range

Primarily found in south-central Brazil (Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul) and eastern Bolivia (Santa Cruz).

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-and-white SeedeaterSporophila luctuosa Black-bellied SeedeaterSporophila melanogaster Black-billed Seed-FinchSporophila atrirostris Buffy-fronted SeedeaterSporophila frontalis Chestnut SeedeaterSporophila cinnamomea Chestnut-bellied Seed-FinchSporophila angolensis Chestnut-bellied SeedeaterSporophila castaneiventris Chestnut-throated SeedeaterSporophila telasco

Heard a Black-and-tawny Seedeater?

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