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 Siskin

Spinus notatus

A small, vibrant finch of the high-altitude forests of Mexico and Central America, easily identified by the male's striking jet-black hood and yellow plumage.

What it sounds like

A complex series of rapid, high-pitched twittering notes and buzzy trills, often punctuated by a rising 'twee' or 'su-ee' contact call.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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

Field notes

The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with males sporting solid black hoods while females have duller, olive-tinged heads.
It is primarily granivorous, favoring seeds from various composite plants and occasionally foraging for small insects during the breeding season.
Outside of the nesting period, these siskins are highly gregarious and often form large, nomadic flocks with other finch species.
The nest is a meticulously constructed cup of moss, lichens, and fine rootlets, typically hidden high in the canopy of a coniferous tree.
There are three recognized subspecies—S. n. notatus, S. n. forreri, and S. n. oleaceus—varying slightly in plumage saturation and wing length.

Habitat

Montane pine-oak, evergreen, and cloud forests, often occurring at elevations between 2,000 and 10,000 feet.

Range

Highlands of Mexico, extending south through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and northern Nicaragua.

Similar & commonly confused birds

American GoldfinchSpinus tristis Andean SiskinSpinus spinescens Antillean SiskinSpinus dominicensis Black SiskinSpinus atratus Black-capped SiskinSpinus atriceps Black-chinned SiskinSpinus barbatus Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus Hooded SiskinSpinus magellanicus

Heard a Black-headed Siskin?

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