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

Blackish Pewee

Contopus nigrescens

The Blackish Pewee is a small, exceptionally dark tyrant flycatcher of the South American interior, known for its inconspicuous nature and preference for forest edge canopies.

What it sounds like

A thin, rising, and somewhat plaintive 'twee-ee' or 'pwee-ee'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Jeremy Minns · BrazilCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the darkest member of the genus Contopus, possessing uniform sooty-black plumage that lacks the distinct wing bars seen in most other pewees.
The species occupies two distinct elevational ranges: a lowland population in the Amazon basin and a montane population in the Andean foothills.
Unlike many forest flycatchers, it is often found in river-edge habitats and old second-growth clearings rather than deep primary forest interior.
It employs a classic 'sally-glide' foraging technique, launching from high, exposed snags to capture flying insects before returning to the same perch.
Despite its wide range, it is considered locally uncommon and is often overlooked due to its dark coloration blending into the shadows of the canopy.

Habitat

Humid lowland and montane forest edges, clearings, and riverine islands.

Range

Disjunct populations in the Amazon Basin (Brazil, Peru) and the eastern Andean slopes (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia).

Similar & commonly confused birds

Cuban PeweeContopus caribaeus Dark PeweeContopus lugubris Eastern Wood-PeweeContopus virens Greater PeweeContopus pertinax Hispaniolan PeweeContopus hispaniolensis Jamaican PeweeContopus pallidus Jamaican PeweeContopus pallidus Lesser Antillean PeweeContopus latirostris

Heard a Blackish Pewee?

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