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-rumped Waxbill

Estrilda troglodytes

A small, slender estrildid finch easily identified by its soft grey-brown plumage, vibrant red eye-mask, and namesake black rump.

What it sounds like

High-pitched, thin 'tsit-tsit' contact calls and a simple, rising twittering song.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Romuald Mikusek · GambiaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Constructs a deceptive 'cock's nest' on top of the actual breeding nest to confuse predators.
Is a frequent host to the brood-parasitic Pin-tailed Whydah, whose chicks mimic the waxbill's unique gape patterns.
Highly gregarious outside the breeding season, often forming nomadic flocks of several hundred individuals.
The species is native to the Sahel but has established feral populations in Spain, Portugal, and Puerto Rico.
Both parents participate in building the nest, which is a globular structure made of grass with a narrow tubular entrance.

Habitat

Dry savannas, grasslands, sedges near water, and cultivated areas.

Range

Native across the Sahel belt of Africa, from Senegal to Ethiopia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Anambra WaxbillEstrilda poliopareia Arabian WaxbillEstrilda rufibarba Black-crowned WaxbillEstrilda nonnula Black-headed WaxbillEstrilda atricapilla Black-lored WaxbillEstrilda nigriloris Common WaxbillEstrilda astrild Crimson-rumped WaxbillEstrilda rhodopyga Fawn-breasted WaxbillEstrilda paludicola

Heard a Black-rumped Waxbill?

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