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

Blue-black Grassquit

Volatinia jacarina

The Blue-black Grassquit is a small, gregarious tanager relative famous for the male's persistent, rhythmic vertical leaping displays. It is a common and widespread inhabitant of open grassy environments across the Neotropics.

What it sounds like

A short, explosive, and buzzy 'tse-ee-u' or 'tiziu' produced at the apex of the male's jump.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:13

Rec. Tristan Guillebot de Nerville · French GuianaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males perform a signature 'jumping' display, leaping up to half a meter in the air and landing back on the same perch while singing.
The species is the sole member of the genus Volatinia, occupying a unique niche among the seed-eating tanagers.
Its common Brazilian name, 'Tiziu,' is an onomatopoeia reflecting the explosive, buzzy sound of its brief song.
During the male's leap, flashes of white underwing coverts are revealed, contrasting sharply with its otherwise glossy blue-black plumage.
While primarily granivorous, they are known to feed opportunistically on insects caught in flight or gleaned from grass stems.

Habitat

Grasslands, agricultural fields, savannas, and disturbed weedy areas.

Range

Southern Mexico through Central America to northern Argentina and Uruguay.

Heard a Blue-black Grassquit?

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