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-tailed Hummingbird

Saucerottia cyanura

The Blue-tailed Hummingbird is a vibrant, medium-sized hummingbird known for its glittering green body and contrasting deep indigo to blue-black forked tail.

What it sounds like

A series of high-pitched, thin 'tsit' notes and buzzy, liquid chips often delivered during territorial displays.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

Field notes

It was historically placed in the genus Amazilia before being moved to Saucerottia based on molecular phylogenetic studies.
The species is known to hybridize with the Berylline Hummingbird where their ranges overlap in Mexico and Guatemala.
Unlike many hummingbirds, males and females are nearly identical in appearance, exhibiting minimal sexual dimorphism.
It frequently visits shaded coffee plantations, which serve as vital secondary habitats for the species across its range.
The distinctive blue iridescence of the tail feathers is structural rather than pigment-based, shifting in color depending on the angle of light.

Habitat

Subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, montane evergreen forests, and pine-oak woodlands.

Range

Pacific slope of Central America, spanning from southern Mexico (Chiapas) to northwestern Costa Rica.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Azure-crowned HummingbirdSaucerottia cyanocephala Berylline HummingbirdSaucerottia beryllina Blue-vented HummingbirdSaucerottia hoffmanni Chestnut-bellied HummingbirdSaucerottia castaneiventris Copper-rumped HummingbirdSaucerottia tobaci Copper-tailed HummingbirdSaucerottia cupreicauda Green-bellied HummingbirdSaucerottia viridigaster Indigo-capped HummingbirdSaucerottia cyanifrons

Heard a Blue-tailed Hummingbird?

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