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 Weaver

Ploceus melanocephalus

A vibrant, colonial songbird characterized by the male's striking jet-black hood and brilliant yellow plumage. It is a highly social species renowned for its intricate nest-weaving abilities near African wetlands.

What it sounds like

A rapid, chattering series of harsh, mechanical sizzling sounds and wheezing notes, typical of the weaver family.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:17

Rec. Jorge Leitão · PortugalCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males are responsible for weaving the kidney-shaped nests using strips of grass and reeds, often completing them in a single day.
Unlike many other weaver species, the Black-headed Weaver's nest lacks a long entrance tunnel, having instead a simple downward-facing opening.
They are highly gregarious and nest in dense colonies, which can occasionally contain hundreds of nests in a single stand of reeds or trees.
The species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism; females and non-breeding males are a duller, streaky olive-brown to help with camouflage.
While primarily seed-eaters, they are opportunistic feeders that will readily consume insects and aquatic invertebrates, especially when feeding nestlings.

Habitat

Reed beds, marshes, swamps, and riverine thickets, almost always situated in close proximity to water.

Range

Widespread across Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Senegal and Gambia in the west to Ethiopia and Kenya in the east.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African Golden-WeaverPloceus subaureus Asian Golden WeaverPloceus hypoxanthus Baglafecht WeaverPloceus baglafecht Bannerman's WeaverPloceus bannermani Bar-winged WeaverPloceus angolensis Bates's WeaverPloceus batesi Baya WeaverPloceus philippinus Bertram's WeaverPloceus bertrandi

Heard a Black-headed Weaver?

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