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

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Poecile rufescens

A small, energetic songbird of the Pacific Northwest, easily identified by its distinctive rich reddish-brown back and flanks.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, scratchy 'tsick-a-dee-dee' that is faster, thinner, and more nasal than the call of the Black-capped Chickadee.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Greg Irving · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the smallest chickadee species in North America, measuring only about 4 to 5 inches in length.
Unlike most chickadees, this species is strictly associated with humid coniferous forests, particularly those featuring Douglas-fir and Western Red Cedar.
They are known to line their nests with a thick layer of animal fur, often over an inch deep, to provide insulation in damp environments.
During winter, they frequently serve as the nuclear species for mixed foraging flocks, leading kinglets, nuthatches, and creepers.
While other chickadees are major seed-cachers, the Chestnut-backed Chickadee relies more heavily on insects and spiders found within bark crevices.

Habitat

Dense coniferous and mixed-evergreen forests, as well as wooded suburban parks and gardens.

Range

The Pacific coast of North America, ranging from southern Alaska down to central California, with some inland populations in the northern Rockies.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-bibbed TitPoecile hypermelaenus Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus Boreal ChickadeePoecile hudsonicus Carolina ChickadeePoecile carolinensis Caspian TitPoecile hyrcanus Gray-headed ChickadeePoecile cinctus Marsh TitPoecile palustris Mexican ChickadeePoecile sclateri

Heard a Chestnut-backed Chickadee?

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Identify a bird by its song