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-crowned Antshrike

Thamnophilus atrinucha

A medium-sized, sexually dimorphic antbird common in the understory and mid-story of Neotropical humid forests.

What it sounds like

A rapid, rhythmic series of nasal, accelerating 'ank' notes ending in a higher-pitched, emphasized flourish.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Alain Verneau · ColombiaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males possess a distinctive black crown and slaty-gray plumage, while females are characterized by rufous-brown tones.
It was historically considered a subspecies of the Western Slaty-Antshrike (Thamnophilus punctatus) before being split based on vocal differences.
The species is a frequent follower of army ant swarms, opportunisticly feeding on insects flushed by the column.
Pairs are highly territorial and are most often seen foraging together in dense vine tangles.
Unlike many antbirds, they often forage higher in the vegetation, sometimes reaching the sub-canopy.

Habitat

Understory and mid-levels of humid lowland forests and mature secondary growth.

Range

Central America from Belize and Guatemala south to western Ecuador and northwestern Colombia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Acre AntshrikeThamnophilus divisorius Amazonian AntshrikeThamnophilus amazonicus Band-tailed AntshrikeThamnophilus melanothorax Bar-crested AntshrikeThamnophilus multistriatus Barred AntshrikeThamnophilus doliatus Black AntshrikeThamnophilus nigriceps Black-backed AntshrikeThamnophilus melanonotus Black-hooded AntshrikeThamnophilus bridgesi

Heard a Black-crowned Antshrike?

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