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-banded Plover

Anarhynchus pallidus

A diminutive, pale wader characterized by a thin chestnut breast band and a specialized affinity for hypersaline environments.

What it sounds like

A thin, high-pitched 'too-it' or 'pweet', often accompanied by soft, repetitive chirping when agitated.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is one of the smallest plovers in its range, measuring only about 15 centimeters in length.
The species is divided into two geographically isolated subspecies: A. p. pallidus in Southern Africa and A. p. venustus in East Africa.
Its presence is often strongly correlated with the presence of Greater Flamingos, whose feeding activity stirs up prey.
It is a specialized feeder, primarily consuming tiny insects and larvae adapted to high-salinity mudflats.
The species is classified as Near Threatened due to its extreme habitat specialization and the degradation of critical salt pan sites.

Habitat

Inland salt pans, soda lakes, and hypersaline coastal lagoons.

Range

Southern Africa (Namibia, South Africa, Botswana) and East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania).

Similar & commonly confused birds

Caspian PloverAnarhynchus asiaticus Collared PloverAnarhynchus collaris Double-banded PloverAnarhynchus bicinctus Greater Sand-PloverAnarhynchus leschenaultii Javan PloverAnarhynchus javanicus Javan PloverAnarhynchus javanicus Kentish PloverAnarhynchus alexandrinus Kittlitz's PloverAnarhynchus pecuarius

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