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

Chimney Swift

Chaetura pelagica

A small, soot-colored aerial insectivore characterized by its cylindrical body and rapid, flickering flight, often described as a 'cigar with wings.'

What it sounds like

A rapid, high-pitched series of mechanical-sounding chattering or twittering notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:16

Rec. Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · EcuadorCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

They are physically incapable of perching on branches and must use their specialized, stiff-shafted tail feathers to prop themselves against vertical surfaces.
Their nests are small half-saucers made of twigs glued together and to a vertical wall using the bird's own adhesive saliva.
Except for nesting and roosting, they spend nearly their entire lives in flight, even drinking and bathing by skimming the surface of water on the wing.
During fall migration, thousands of individuals may congregate to roost in a single chimney, forming a spectacular 'vortex' as they enter at dusk.
They are highly beneficial to humans as they can consume up to one-third of their body weight in flying insects every day.

Habitat

Urban and suburban areas containing accessible chimneys, as well as mature forests with large hollow trees.

Range

Breeds across eastern North America; winters primarily in the upper Amazon basin of South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Ashy-tailed SwiftChaetura andrei Band-rumped SwiftChaetura spinicaudus Chapman's SwiftChaetura chapmani Costa Rican SwiftChaetura fumosa Gray-rumped SwiftChaetura cinereiventris Lesser Antillean SwiftChaetura martinica Pale-rumped SwiftChaetura egregia Short-tailed SwiftChaetura brachyura

Heard a Chimney Swift?

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