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 Gray Warbler

Setophaga nigrescens

The Black-throated Gray Warbler is a small, monochromatic wood-warbler of western North America, distinguished by its crisp grayscale plumage and a singular yellow spot near the eye.

What it sounds like

A dry, buzzy series of wheezy notes, commonly transliterated as 'zee-zee-zee-zee-bzz-tseee'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:40

Rec. Ed Pandolfino · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is one of the few wood-warblers that prefers dry, scrubby habitats like pinyon-juniper and chaparral over lush forests.
A tiny yellow spot on the lores, between the eye and bill, provides the bird's only non-monochrome coloration.
Despite their distinct appearance, genetic studies show they are closely related to the more colorful Townsend’s and Hermit Warblers.
They are methodical foragers, slowly gleaning insects from the inner foliage of trees rather than catching them in flight.
The female typically has a white or mottled throat, whereas the adult male possesses a solid, deep black throat patch.

Habitat

Dry oak woodlands, pinyon-juniper forests, and mixed coniferous-deciduous scrub.

Range

Western North America, breeding from British Columbia to northern Mexico and wintering in Mexico and the southwestern U.S.

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 Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescens Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virens

Heard a Black-throated Gray 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