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

Brown Shrike

Lanius cristatus

A medium-sized migratory passerine recognized by its distinctive dark eye mask and raptor-like hunting behavior. It is a member of the 'butcherbird' family, known for impaling its prey on thorns or barbed wire.

What it sounds like

A harsh, rapid scolding 'chack-chack-chack' and a complex song that often incorporates mimicry of other bird species.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:31

Rec. Peter Boesman · ChinaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

It creates a 'larder' by skewering insects, lizards, and small birds on sharp objects to store for later consumption.
Despite being a passerine, it possesses a sharply hooked culmen with a subterminal tooth used to sever the spinal cords of prey.
It is a long-distance migrant, with some populations traveling from northern Siberia to as far south as the Indonesian archipelago.
Individuals are highly territorial even on their wintering grounds, often returning to the exact same perch year after year.
Juveniles display characteristic crescent-shaped dark barring on their underparts, which disappears after their first full molt.

Habitat

Open shrublands, forest edges, cultivated fields, and urban gardens with available perches.

Range

Breeds across East Asia and Siberia; winters in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bay-backed ShrikeLanius vittatus Bull-headed ShrikeLanius bucephalus Burmese ShrikeLanius collurioides Chinese Gray ShrikeLanius sphenocercus Emin's ShrikeLanius gubernator Giant ShrikeLanius giganteus Gray-backed FiscalLanius excubitoroides Gray-backed ShrikeLanius tephronotus

Heard a Brown Shrike?

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