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-hooded Antshrike

Thamnophilus bridgesi

A medium-sized, sexually dimorphic antbird endemic to the humid Pacific lowlands of southern Central America.

What it sounds like

An accelerating series of 10–15 nasal 'anh' notes, speeding up into a roll and ending with a dry, raspy growl.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 1:09

Rec. Alain Verneau · Costa RicaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males exhibit striking black plumage with white wing-coverts, while females are olive-brown with heavy white streaking on the head and underparts.
The species is a facultative army ant follower, frequently joining mixed-species flocks to capture insects flushed by raiding ants.
Unlike many antbirds, it often inhabits coastal mangroves in addition to its primary lowland forest habitat.
Nests are constructed as a thin-walled pensile cup, typically suspended from a horizontal fork in the understory shrub layer.
Pairs are highly territorial year-round and utilize vocalizations to maintain pair bonds and defend their range.

Habitat

Understory of humid lowland forests, mature secondary growth, and coastal mangroves.

Range

Pacific slope of southern Costa Rica and western Panama.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Acre AntshrikeThamnophilus divisorius Amazonian AntshrikeThamnophilus amazonicus Band-tailed AntshrikeThamnophilus melanothorax Bar-crested AntshrikeThamnophilus multistriatus Barred AntshrikeThamnophilus doliatus Black AntshrikeThamnophilus nigriceps Black-backed AntshrikeThamnophilus melanonotus Black-crowned AntshrikeThamnophilus atrinucha

Heard a Black-hooded Antshrike?

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