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 Nightingale-Thrush

Catharus mexicanus

A secretive, Neotropical forest-dweller distinguished by its striking black hood and vivid orange-red orbital ring and bill.

What it sounds like

A complex, liquid series of ethereal flute-like notes and buzzy trills, often ending in a sharp, nasal 'waa' or 'weee-uh'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 4:02

Rec. Richard E. Webster · MexicoCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is one of the few members of the genus Catharus that remains resident in its range year-round rather than migrating north.
The species displays sexual monomorphism, with both males and females sharing the signature black head and orange appendages.
They frequently engage in 'leaf-tossing,' a foraging behavior where they flip leaf litter with their bills to uncover hidden invertebrates.
Though named 'Nightingale-Thrush,' its song is structurally distinct from the European Nightingale, though equally melodious.
Multiple subspecies are recognized, showing clinal variation in the darkness of their olive-brown upperparts from Mexico to Panama.

Habitat

Humid montane evergreen forests, cloud forests, and shaded coffee plantations with dense undergrowth.

Range

Eastern and southern Mexico through Central America to western Panama.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bicknell's ThrushCatharus bicknelli Black-billed Nightingale-ThrushCatharus gracilirostris Gray-cheeked ThrushCatharus minimus Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatus Orange-billed Nightingale-ThrushCatharus aurantiirostris Ruddy-capped Nightingale-ThrushCatharus frantzii Russet Nightingale-ThrushCatharus occidentalis Slaty-backed Nightingale-ThrushCatharus fuscater

Heard a Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush?

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