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-sided Warbler

Setophaga pensylvanica

A small, active New World warbler distinguished by its striking yellow crown and bold chestnut-colored streaks along its flanks.

What it sounds like

A loud, musical series often transcribed as 'pleased-pleased-pleased-to-MEET-cha.'

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Scott Olmstead · Costa RicaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

This species was much rarer in the 18th and 19th centuries, but populations surged as forest clearing created more of its preferred shrubby habitat.
Males utilize two distinct song types: one accented song for attracting mates and an unaccented song for territorial boundary encounters.
John James Audubon famously encountered this bird only once in his life, reflecting its historical rarity before industrial-scale logging.
During the winter, they often join mixed-species foraging flocks in Central America, occasionally following army ant swarms.
They are primarily insectivorous and often forage by 'gleaning' insects from the undersides of leaves with an upward-tilted tail.

Habitat

Second-growth deciduous forests, brushy edges, and regrowing clearcuts.

Range

Breeds in the eastern United States and southern Canada; winters in Central America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Adelaide's WarblerSetophaga adelaidae American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla Arrowhead WarblerSetophaga pharetra Bahama WarblerSetophaga flavescens Barbuda WarblerSetophaga subita Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castanea Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescens Black-throated Gray WarblerSetophaga nigrescens

Heard a Chestnut-sided Warbler?

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Identify a bird by its song