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

Cinnamon Bittern

Botaurus cinnamomeus

The Cinnamon Bittern is a small, secretive Old World heron notable for its distinctive reddish-orange plumage and shy nature within dense wetland vegetation.

What it sounds like

A repetitive, hollow, and rhythmic 'kok-kok-kok' or 'sun-sun-sun' sound.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is one of the few bittern species to exhibit sexual dimorphism, with males being solid cinnamon and females having streaked brown plumage.
When alarmed, it performs a 'bittern posture,' freezing with its bill pointed skyward to camouflage against reeds and tall grass.
The species is highly crepuscular, preferring to forage for small fish, frogs, and insects during the dim light of dawn and dusk.
Unlike many colonial herons, it is a solitary nester, building a secluded platform of reeds or sticks close to the water's surface.
It is a frequent inhabitant of rice paddies across its range, where it utilizes the crop cover to hunt and move undetected.

Habitat

Reed beds, freshwater marshes, flooded grasslands, and agricultural rice fields.

Range

Widespread throughout South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia, from India to the Philippines.

Similar & commonly confused birds

American BitternBotaurus lentiginosus Australasian BitternBotaurus poiciloptilus Black BitternBotaurus flavicollis Black-backed BitternBotaurus dubius Dwarf BitternBotaurus sturmii Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris Great BitternBotaurus stellaris Least BitternBotaurus exilis

Heard a Cinnamon Bittern?

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