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

Cape Wagtail

Motacilla capensis

A slender, olive-grey passerine common throughout southern Africa, easily identified by its constant vertical tail-bobbing and affinity for human-altered landscapes.

What it sounds like

A clear, high-pitched 'tseeeit' or 'tsee-chee-chee' typically uttered during flight or when perched.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:27

Rec. Lars Lachmann · KenyaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Maintains a near-constant vertical tail-pumping motion, which may serve to flush insect prey or signal predator awareness.
Highly commensal with humans, it is one of the most familiar birds in South African gardens and often enters houses to forage.
Unlike many northern Motacilla species, the Cape Wagtail is largely resident and does not undertake long-distance migrations.
Monogamous pairs are known to stay together for several years, frequently reusing the same nesting site over multiple seasons.
It is a frequent host for the brood-parasitic Red-chested Cuckoo, although it has evolved some ability to recognize and reject foreign eggs.

Habitat

Found near water sources including rivers, estuaries, and marshes, as well as urban parks, gardens, and farms.

Range

Southern and Eastern Africa, ranging from Kenya and Uganda south to the Western Cape of South Africa.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African Pied WagtailMotacilla aguimp Citrine WagtailMotacilla citreola Eastern Yellow WagtailMotacilla tschutschensis Gray WagtailMotacilla cinerea Japanese WagtailMotacilla grandis Japanese WagtailMotacilla grandis Madagascar WagtailMotacilla flaviventris Mekong WagtailMotacilla samveasnae

Heard a Cape Wagtail?

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