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

Cassin's Vireo

Vireo cassinii

The Cassin's Vireo is a stocky, drab songbird of western coniferous forests, characterized by its distinct white 'spectacles' and deliberate foraging style.

What it sounds like

A series of husky, hesitant two-to-three note phrases with alternating rising and falling 'question-and-answer' inflections.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Scott Olmstead · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Originally classified as a single species with Blue-headed and Plumbeous Vireos under the name 'Solitary Vireo' until 1997.
Unusually among songbirds, males often sing while sitting on the nest during the incubation of eggs.
Constructs a pensile, cup-shaped nest suspended from a horizontal fork, often decorated with spiderwebs and cocoons.
Its plumage serves as a mid-point in the Solitary Vireo complex, being duller than the Blue-headed but more olive than the Plumbeous.
Maintains a diet almost exclusively of insects and spiders during the breeding season, gleaned slowly from foliage.

Habitat

Dry coniferous and mixed-evergreen forests, particularly those containing Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine, and oak.

Range

Breeds in Western North America from British Columbia to Baja California; winters in Mexico and Central America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bell's VireoVireo bellii Black-capped VireoVireo atricapilla Black-whiskered VireoVireo altiloquus Blue Mountain VireoVireo osburni Blue-headed VireoVireo solitarius Brown-capped VireoVireo leucophrys Chivi VireoVireo chivi Choco VireoVireo masteri

Heard a Cassin's Vireo?

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