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-headed Canary

Serinus alario

A small, striking finch native to southern Africa, notable for the male's bold black-and-white plumage and sweet, melodic song.

What it sounds like

A sweet, rambling, and liquid warbling song similar to a domestic canary; contact calls are a thin 'tseee' or 'chissick'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 1:20

Rec. Rick Nuttall · South AfricaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Displays significant sexual dimorphism, with males possessing a jet-black head and bib while females are a duller, streaked grayish-brown.
The species is highly nomadic, moving across vast areas to track localized rainfall and the resulting seed gluts.
The 'Damara Canary' (S. a. leucolaemus) is a recognized subspecies featuring white eyebrows and throat, often found in more arid northern regions.
In the wild, they are highly gregarious and frequently congregate in large flocks at waterholes during the dry season.
They are primarily granivorous, specializing in the small seeds of grasses and shrubs found within the Karoo biome.

Habitat

Arid to semi-arid shrublands, succulent Karoo, coastal dunes, and rural gardens.

Range

Southern Africa, primarily concentrated in South Africa, Namibia, and Lesotho.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Cape CanarySerinus canicollis Ethiopian SiskinSerinus nigriceps European SerinSerinus serinus Fire-fronted SerinSerinus pusillus Island CanarySerinus canaria Syrian SerinSerinus syriacus Yellow-crowned CanarySerinus flavivertex Yellow-crowned CanarySerinus flavivertex

Heard a Black-headed Canary?

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Identify a bird by its song