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?

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Birdsong field guide

Black-throated Munia

Lonchura kelaarti

A small, gregarious estrildid finch native to the hill regions of South India and Sri Lanka, recognized by its black face and throat.

What it sounds like

A series of soft, high-pitched 'chirrup' notes and a quiet, metallic warbling song.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Mandar Bhagat · IndiaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

The species is named after Edward Frederick Kelaart, a 19th-century physician and naturalist who studied the fauna of Sri Lanka.
It is distinguished from the similar Nutmeg Mannikin by its dark face and the distinct pinkish-buff or white scaling on its underparts.
Unlike most munias that prefer open grasslands, this species is specifically adapted to humid mountain forests and edges of tea plantations.
The breeding season varies by region, often coinciding with the end of the monsoons to ensure an abundance of grass seeds.
It typically forms small, active flocks of 5 to 15 individuals that forage together in the undergrowth or on the ground.

Habitat

Humid hill forest edges, shrubby clearings, and tea or coffee plantations at higher elevations.

Range

The Western and Eastern Ghats of South India and the central highlands of Sri Lanka.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Alpine MuniaLonchura monticola Bismarck MuniaLonchura melaena Black MuniaLonchura stygia Black-breasted MuniaLonchura teerinki Black-faced MuniaLonchura molucca Chestnut MuniaLonchura atricapilla Chestnut-breasted MuniaLonchura castaneothorax Dusky MuniaLonchura fuscans

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