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

Blackpoll Warbler

Setophaga striata

The Blackpoll Warbler is a small songbird famous for its record-breaking transoceanic migration and high-frequency song. It is a boreal specialist that undergoes a dramatic plumage transformation between the breeding and non-breeding seasons.

What it sounds like

A very high, thin, mechanical series of 'tsee' notes delivered on a steady pitch, typically increasing and then fading in volume.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 1:25

Rec. Christopher McPherson · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It performs a non-stop transoceanic flight of up to 2,500 km from the Atlantic coast to South America, lasting roughly 72 hours.
Prior to migration, individuals nearly double their body mass by storing fat, which serves as the high-energy fuel for their marathon journey.
The species possesses one of the highest-pitched songs of any North American wood-warbler, often reaching frequencies difficult for the human ear to detect.
While breeding males sport a crisp black cap and white cheeks, they molt into a dull olive-yellow plumage in the fall, making them a classic 'confusing fall warbler'.
Morphologically, it has exceptionally long wings relative to its body size, an evolutionary adaptation for sustained long-distance endurance flight.

Habitat

Coniferous boreal forests during the breeding season; tropical lowland evergreen forests and second-growth woodlands during winter.

Range

Breeds from Alaska across northern Canada to Newfoundland; winters primarily in the Amazon Basin and northern South America.

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 Gray WarblerSetophaga nigrescens

Heard a Blackpoll 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