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 Thrasher

Toxostoma rufum

The Brown Thrasher is a large, rufous songbird known for its striking yellow eyes and its role as a master mimic in the family Mimidae. It is a secretive bird of the undergrowth, recognized for its aggressive territorial defense and complex vocalizations.

What it sounds like

A long series of varied musical phrases and mimicry, typically delivered in couplets; alarm call is a sharp, smacking 'tcheh' or 'smack'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Molly Jacobson · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It possesses one of the largest song repertoires of any North American bird, with over 1,100 documented song types.
Unlike the Northern Mockingbird, which repeats phrases three or more times, the Brown Thrasher typically repeats musical phrases in pairs.
The bird earns its name from its habit of 'thrashing' through leaf litter using its long, slightly curved bill to uncover insects.
It is the official state bird of Georgia, though it was once briefly replaced by the Bobwhite Quail before being reinstated.
They are notoriously fierce nest defenders and have been known to strike humans and dogs hard enough to draw blood.

Habitat

Dense thickets, brushy field edges, hedgerows, and forest clearings.

Range

Eastern and central United States and southern Canada; northern populations migrate to the southern U.S. for winter.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bendire's ThrasherToxostoma bendirei California ThrasherToxostoma redivivum Cozumel ThrasherToxostoma guttatum Crissal ThrasherToxostoma crissale Curve-billed ThrasherToxostoma curvirostre Gray ThrasherToxostoma cinereum LeConte's ThrasherToxostoma lecontei Long-billed ThrasherToxostoma longirostre

Heard a Brown Thrasher?

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Identify a bird by its song