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 Laughingthrush

Garrulax milleti

A social, medium-sized songbird endemic to the montane forests of Indochina, distinguished by its striking black head and contrasting white neck patch.

What it sounds like

A series of loud, liquid, and rhythmic whistles mixed with harsh, scolding, and 'laughing' notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Brian Cox · VietnamCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is named after Fernand Millet, a French forest inspector who worked in Vietnam during the early 20th century.
The species is highly social, typically moving through the forest in noisy groups of 5 to 15 individuals.
It is classified as Near Threatened, primarily due to habitat loss and the illegal cage bird trade.
Unlike many other laughingthrushes, it possesses a distinct white crescent-shaped patch on the sides of its neck.
They are frequent participants in mixed-species foraging flocks, often leading the movement through dense undergrowth.

Habitat

Primary and secondary evergreen forests, bamboo thickets, and montane scrubland.

Range

Highlands of Southern Vietnam (notably the Da Lat Plateau) and Southern Laos.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Cambodian LaughingthrushGarrulax ferrarius Chinese HwameiGarrulax canorus Gray LaughingthrushGarrulax maesi Lesser Necklaced LaughingthrushGarrulax monileger Orange-breasted LaughingthrushGarrulax annamensis Rufous-cheeked LaughingthrushGarrulax castanotis Rufous-fronted LaughingthrushGarrulax rufifrons Spot-breasted LaughingthrushGarrulax merulinus

Heard a Black-hooded Laughingthrush?

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