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-bellied Sandgrouse

Pterocles exustus

The Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse is a desert-adapted, ground-dwelling bird famous for its specialized plumage and ability to transport water over vast distances.

What it sounds like

A distinctive, repetitive guttural flight call often transcribed as 'gut-ka, gut-ka' or 'gug-gug'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Peter Boesman · OmanCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males possess specialized belly feathers with high-surface-area barbules that act like a sponge to carry water to chicks up to 30 kilometers away.
The species is highly social and follows a strict schedule, visiting watering holes in large, synchronized flocks during the early morning hours.
They exhibit cryptic coloration that provides nearly perfect camouflage against the sandy, rocky substrates of their arid environment.
Unlike many other birds, they drink by sucking up water continuously rather than tipping their heads back to swallow.
Nests are simple unlined scrapes on the open ground, where the parents rely on their plumage to blend in and avoid detection by predators.

Habitat

Arid scrubland, semi-desert, and dry grasslands with sparse vegetation.

Range

Widespread across Central and Northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Indian Subcontinent.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-bellied SandgrousePterocles orientalis Black-faced SandgrousePterocles decoratus Burchell's SandgrousePterocles burchelli Crowned SandgrousePterocles coronatus Double-banded SandgrousePterocles bicinctus Four-banded SandgrousePterocles quadricinctus Lichtenstein's SandgrousePterocles lichtensteinii Madagascar SandgrousePterocles personatus

Heard a Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse?

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

Identify a bird by its song