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-white Seedeater

Sporophila luctuosa

A small, active neotropical songbird noted for the striking monochromatic plumage of males and its reliance on seasonal seeding grasses.

What it sounds like

A complex, melodic series of high-pitched whistles, warbles, and trills delivered at a rapid tempo.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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

Field notes

Males possess a distinctive white patch at the base of the primary feathers, which is often visible even when the wing is folded.
The species is highly nomadic, frequently shifting its geographic presence to track the localized seeding cycles of various grass species.
While males are visually distinct, females are olive-brown and nearly identical to several other species in the genus Sporophila.
It is primarily a montane seedeater, typically occurring at elevations between 1,000 and 2,500 meters along the Andean slopes.
During the non-breeding season, they frequently join large, mixed-species 'seedeater clouds' to forage in agricultural fields.

Habitat

Grassy clearings, pastures, and agricultural edges, often near humid forest or scrubland.

Range

Andean highlands from western Venezuela and Colombia through Ecuador and Peru to northern Bolivia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-and-tawny SeedeaterSporophila nigrorufa 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-white Seedeater?

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