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

Common Waxbill

Estrilda astrild

A small, gregarious estrildid finch easily recognized by its signature red eye-mask and finely barred, brownish-grey plumage.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, nasal 'peet-peet' contact call and a simple, rising twittering song.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 1:12

Rec. Jacobo Ramil Millarengo · SpainCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Possesses a distinctive bright red, 'waxy' bill and a matching crimson stripe through the eye.
Serves as the primary host for the Pin-tailed Whydah, a brood parasite whose chicks mimic the waxbill's specific gape patterns.
Constructs elaborate globular nests of grass, often featuring a 'cock's nest' on top to distract predators.
Highly social nature leads them to form massive flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes numbering in the hundreds.
Originally native to Sub-Saharan Africa, it has established prolific introduced populations in Iberia, Brazil, and Hawaii.

Habitat

Tall grasses, reedbeds, and rank vegetation, frequently near water or agricultural edges.

Range

Native to Sub-Saharan Africa; widely introduced across Europe, the Americas, and various oceanic islands.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Anambra WaxbillEstrilda poliopareia Arabian WaxbillEstrilda rufibarba Black-crowned WaxbillEstrilda nonnula Black-headed WaxbillEstrilda atricapilla Black-lored WaxbillEstrilda nigriloris Black-rumped WaxbillEstrilda troglodytes Crimson-rumped WaxbillEstrilda rhodopyga Fawn-breasted WaxbillEstrilda paludicola

Heard a Common Waxbill?

Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.

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