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-eared Bunting

Emberiza fucata

A medium-sized East Asian bunting characterized by its rufous ear patches and a distinctive black-streaked breast band.

What it sounds like

A sharp, high-pitched 'pzick' call and a short, metallic, warbling song.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Bo Shunqi 薄顺奇 · ChinaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Identified by eponymous chestnut ear-coverts and a 'necklace' of black streaks across the upper breast.
Primarily a ground-nester, concealing its cup-shaped nest at the base of shrubs or within thick grass.
The species is polytypic, with three recognized subspecies: fucata, arcuata, and kuatunensis.
Exhibits seasonal dietary shifts, transitioning from seeds in winter to invertebrates during the breeding season.
Northern populations are long-distance migrants, wintering in Southeast Asia and parts of the Indian subcontinent.

Habitat

Open grasslands, scrubby meadows, agricultural fields, and wetland margins.

Range

Breeds across East Asia, the Himalayas, and Siberia; winters in South and Southeast Asia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-faced BuntingEmberiza spodocephala Black-headed BuntingEmberiza melanocephala Brown-rumped BuntingEmberiza affinis Cabanis's BuntingEmberiza cabanisi Cape BuntingEmberiza capensis Chestnut BuntingEmberiza rutila Cinereous BuntingEmberiza cineracea Cinnamon-breasted BuntingEmberiza tahapisi

Heard a Chestnut-eared Bunting?

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Identify a bird by its song