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 Munia

Lonchura atricapilla

A small, gregarious estrildid finch easily identified by its striking combination of a deep chestnut body and a jet-black head and throat.

What it sounds like

A thin, high-pitched metallic 'peep' or 'tsip', and a soft, multi-syllabic song consisting of whistles and clicks.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Lim Ying Hien · MalaysiaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Was the national bird of the Philippines until 1995, when it was replaced by the Philippine Eagle.
Highly social species that often forms massive communal roosts and foraging flocks containing hundreds of individuals.
Juveniles are entirely tawny-brown and lack the distinctive black hood of the adults, making them difficult to identify.
Considered a significant agricultural pest in some regions due to its tendency to swarm and feed on ripening rice crops.
Constructs a large, ball-shaped nest made of grass with a side entrance, often hidden in tall reeds or dense shrubbery.

Habitat

Wet grasslands, marshes, reedbeds, and agricultural areas such as rice paddies.

Range

Widespread across South and Southeast Asia, including India, China, the Malay Peninsula, and the Philippines.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Alpine MuniaLonchura monticola Bismarck MuniaLonchura melaena Black MuniaLonchura stygia Black-breasted MuniaLonchura teerinki Black-faced MuniaLonchura molucca Black-throated MuniaLonchura kelaarti Chestnut-breasted MuniaLonchura castaneothorax Dusky MuniaLonchura fuscans

Heard a Chestnut Munia?

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