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

Chapman's Swift

Chaetura chapmani

Chapman's Swift is a small, dark aerial insectivore characterized by its rapid, flickering flight and cigar-shaped body. It is often found foraging high above tropical lowland forests in gregarious, mixed-species flocks.

What it sounds like

A rapid, high-pitched series of staccato twittering and dry chattering notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:28

Rec. JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · BrazilCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It utilizes its own glutinous saliva to cement small twigs into a bracket-shaped nest, typically located inside hollow trees or vertical shafts.
The species features specialized stiffened tail-feather shafts (rachises) that act as props to support the bird when roosting on vertical surfaces.
Though similar to the Chimney Swift, it is distinguished by its darker plumage and lack of a significantly paler throat patch.
It is a highly social species, often seen in groups of 10 to 50 individuals while hunting for small flying insects.
It is considered a 'silent' migrant in parts of its range, with movements that are poorly understood due to its similarity to other Chaetura species.

Habitat

Lowland evergreen forests, forest edges, and second-growth tropical woodlands.

Range

Northern South America, ranging from Panama through Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas to northern Brazil and Trinidad.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Ashy-tailed SwiftChaetura andrei Band-rumped SwiftChaetura spinicaudus Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagica Costa Rican SwiftChaetura fumosa Gray-rumped SwiftChaetura cinereiventris Lesser Antillean SwiftChaetura martinica Pale-rumped SwiftChaetura egregia Short-tailed SwiftChaetura brachyura

Heard a Chapman's Swift?

Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.

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