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-throated Blue Warbler

Setophaga caerulescens

A strikingly dimorphic wood-warbler of the deep forest understory, known for the male's crisp midnight-blue, black, and white plumage.

What it sounds like

A slow, buzzy, ascending series of notes often transcribed as 'beer-beer-beer-beeeer' or 'I-am-so-lazy.'

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:49

Rec. Scott Olmstead · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

The sexual dimorphism is so pronounced that early ornithologists originally classified males and females as two distinct species.
Both sexes possess a diagnostic small white patch on the primary feathers, often referred to as a 'pocket handkerchief.'
They are remarkably site-faithful, with many individuals returning to the exact same nesting territory for multiple consecutive years.
Unlike many canopy-dwelling warblers, this species forages and nests primarily in the shrub layer at or below eye level.
During the winter in the Caribbean, they supplement their insectivorous diet with nectar and fruit from tropical plants.

Habitat

Mature deciduous and mixed forests with a dense, shrubby understory of mountain laurel, rhododendron, or hobblebush.

Range

Breeds in northeastern North America and the Appalachian Mountains; winters primarily in the Greater Antilles.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Adelaide's WarblerSetophaga adelaidae American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla Arrowhead WarblerSetophaga pharetra Bahama WarblerSetophaga flavescens Barbuda WarblerSetophaga subita Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castanea Black-throated Gray WarblerSetophaga nigrescens Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virens

Heard a Black-throated Blue Warbler?

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