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 Screech-Owl

Megascops petersoni

A small, elusive Neotropical owl characterized by its rich rufous-cinnamon plumage and distinctive dark eyes.

What it sounds like

A long, rapid series of low-pitched, hollow-sounding 'toots' that may accelerate slightly toward the end.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Iván Lau · ColombiaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Named in honor of the legendary American ornithologist and field guide author Roger Tory Peterson.
Unlike most other screech-owls in its genus, this species possesses striking dark brown irises rather than yellow ones.
It is restricted to a narrow elevational belt of Andean cloud forest, typically between 1,700 and 2,500 meters.
The species was not formally described by science until 1986 due to its secretive nature and remote habitat.
Its plumage is consistently a deep cinnamon-brown, lacking the distinct gray morph found in many other Megascops species.

Habitat

High-elevation montane cloud forests and elfin forests characterized by dense epiphytes and moss.

Range

Eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains in southern Ecuador and northern Peru.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Balsas Screech-OwlMegascops seductus Bare-shanked Screech-OwlMegascops clarkii Bearded Screech-OwlMegascops barbarus Black-capped Screech-OwlMegascops atricapilla Choco Screech-OwlMegascops centralis Cloud-forest Screech-OwlMegascops marshalli Eastern Screech-OwlMegascops asio Foothill Screech-OwlMegascops roraimae

Heard a Cinnamon Screech-Owl?

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