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

Brownish Elaenia

Elaenia pelzelni

A drab, medium-sized tyrant flycatcher specialized for life on the river islands of the Amazon Basin.

What it sounds like

A dry, buzzy, and slightly descending 'bree-er' or 'zhwee-er' call.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:11

Rec. Jeremy Minns · BrazilCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is a river island specialist, rarely found in mainland forests away from major watercourses.
Unlike most members of its genus, it lacks a distinct white or colored semi-concealed crown patch.
Its diet is omnivorous, consisting of both small arthropods and various small berries.
It possesses longer, more pointed wings than related species, likely to facilitate travel between ephemeral island habitats.
Taxonomically, it is considered monotypic, meaning no subspecies are currently recognized.

Habitat

Early successional scrub, Tessaria thickets, and riparian woodlands primarily on whitewater river islands.

Range

Amazon Basin, spanning northern Brazil, northeastern Peru, southeastern Colombia, and northern Bolivia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Blue Mountain ElaeniaElaenia fallax Caribbean ElaeniaElaenia martinica Coopmans's ElaeniaElaenia brachyptera Great ElaeniaElaenia dayi Highland ElaeniaElaenia obscura Hispaniolan ElaeniaElaenia cherriei Large ElaeniaElaenia spectabilis Lesser ElaeniaElaenia chiriquensis

Heard a Brownish Elaenia?

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