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.

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Birdsong field guide

Cassin's Kingbird

Tyrannus vociferans

The Cassin's Kingbird is a large, social tyrant flycatcher of the American West, distinguished by its dark gray head and contrasting white chin. It is notably vocal and aggressive, frequently observed perching prominently to hawk for flying insects.

What it sounds like

A loud, nasal, and burry 'chi-beer!' or 'rrah-beew' with a sharp upward inflection on the second syllable.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Richard E. Webster · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

The specific epithet 'vociferans' is Latin for 'shouting,' reflecting its loud and persistent calling behavior.
Unlike the similar Western Kingbird, it prefers higher elevations and is more likely to inhabit areas with scattered tall trees.
During the breeding season, males perform a complex 'dawn song' in complete darkness before other bird species begin their morning chorus.
It was named in honor of John Cassin, a 19th-century American ornithologist who described many new species from the American West.
This species is highly territorial and is known to fearlessly dive-bomb much larger predators, including Red-tailed Hawks and ravens.

Habitat

Open woodlands, savannas, pine-oak forests, and ranchlands with scattered mature trees.

Range

Western North America from California and Montana south through the highlands of central Mexico.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Couch's KingbirdTyrannus couchii Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus Fork-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus savana Giant KingbirdTyrannus cubensis Gray KingbirdTyrannus dominicensis Loggerhead KingbirdTyrannus caudifasciatus Scissor-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus forficatus Snowy-throated KingbirdTyrannus niveigularis

Heard a Cassin's Kingbird?

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