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 Sparrow

Passer eminibey

The smallest of the Old World sparrows, the Chestnut Sparrow is notable for the male's striking deep-maroon breeding plumage and its highly social, nomadic behavior.

What it sounds like

A series of high-pitched, metallic chirps and dry, rapid 'chissick' twittering.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. isaac kilusu · TanzaniaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the smallest species in the genus Passer, measuring only 11 centimeters in length.
Breeding males undergo a dramatic transformation from drab brown to a saturated, deep chestnut color.
The species frequently practices nest piracy, seizing the enclosed grass nests of weavers to use as its own.
Highly nomadic in nature, they form large flocks that follow localized rainfall patterns to find seeding grasses.
Despite their small size, they have a proportionately thick, finch-like bill adapted for cracking various small seeds.

Habitat

Arid acacia savanna, dry thorny scrubland, and cultivated fields near water.

Range

East Africa, spanning from eastern Sudan and Ethiopia to northern Tanzania.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Abd al Kuri SparrowPasser hemileucus Arabian Golden SparrowPasser euchlorus Cape SparrowPasser melanurus Cape Verde SparrowPasser iagoensis Dead Sea SparrowPasser moabiticus Desert SparrowPasser simplex Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus Great Rufous SparrowPasser motitensis

Heard a Chestnut Sparrow?

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