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-faced Sandgrouse

Pterocles decoratus

A small, cryptically patterned bird of East African arid lands, easily identified by the male's striking black facial markings and breast band.

What it sounds like

A rhythmic, whistled 'kwi-kwi-kwi' or a sharp, double-noted 'cha-cheer' often given in flight.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Peter Boesman · EthiopiaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males possess specialized belly feathers that absorb and retain water to transport to distant chicks.
The species is highly gregarious, often gathering in large flocks at specific watering holes during the morning.
They rely on an almost exclusively granivorous diet, foraging for small seeds on the open ground.
Nesting occurs in simple, shallow scrapes on the earth, where the eggs' mottled patterns provide camouflage against the soil.
Their flight is swift and direct, characterized by pointed wings and a low-profile silhouette typical of the Pteroclidae family.

Habitat

Arid bushland, dry scrub, and stony semi-desert plains.

Range

East Africa, primarily Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Somalia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-bellied SandgrousePterocles orientalis Burchell's SandgrousePterocles burchelli Chestnut-bellied SandgrousePterocles exustus Crowned SandgrousePterocles coronatus Double-banded SandgrousePterocles bicinctus Four-banded SandgrousePterocles quadricinctus Lichtenstein's SandgrousePterocles lichtensteinii Madagascar SandgrousePterocles personatus

Heard a Black-faced Sandgrouse?

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

Identify a bird by its song