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-tufted Starthroat

Heliomaster furcifer

A large, distinctive hummingbird of South American open lands, named for the male's brilliant iridescent violet-blue throat plumes.

What it sounds like

A series of thin, high-pitched 'tsip' notes, sometimes accelerating into a rapid, metallic twitter.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · BrazilCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

The male possesses 'tufts' formed by elongated lateral throat feathers that can be flared during territorial displays.
It belongs to the Heliomaster genus, characterized by long, robust bills adapted for foraging at deep-tubular flowers.
Populations in the southern extreme of its range are migratory, traveling north to central Brazil during the austral winter.
Unlike many hummingbirds, it is frequently observed fly-catching, darting from high perches to snag small insects mid-air.
Males exhibit a shining copper-green crown and a deeply forked, dark steel-blue tail.

Habitat

Open or semi-open habitats including Cerrado, Chaco, gallery forests, and urban parks.

Range

Central and southern Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Long-billed StarthroatHeliomaster longirostris Plain-capped StarthroatHeliomaster constantii Stripe-breasted StarthroatHeliomaster squamosus

Heard a Blue-tufted Starthroat?

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