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

California Thrasher

Toxostoma redivivum

A large, terrestrial mimid characterized by its exceptionally long, decurved bill and secretive habits within dense California scrub.

What it sounds like

A long, rambling series of varied musical notes and mimicked phrases; call is a sharp, rising 'wheet' or 'shuck'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 3:07

Rec. Ed Pandolfino · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the largest species of thrasher and is almost entirely non-migratory throughout its lifecycle.
The bird uses its sickle-shaped bill to forage by side-to-side 'thrashing' of leaf litter and soil to uncover invertebrates.
Though elusive, it is a master mimic, incorporating the songs of other bird species and ambient sounds into its own complex repertoire.
It is primarily cursorial, preferring to run through dense underbrush on powerful legs rather than take flight when disturbed.
Both members of a breeding pair participate in constructing their bulky, cup-shaped nest deep within protective thorny shrubs.

Habitat

Dense chaparral, coastal sage scrub, and oak woodland thickets.

Range

Resident along the Pacific slope from northern California south to central Baja California.

Similar & commonly confused birds

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

Heard a California Thrasher?

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