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

Couch's Kingbird

Tyrannus couchii

A large, vibrant tyrant flycatcher of the southern borderlands, characterized by its bright yellow underparts and aggressive territorial behavior.

What it sounds like

A sharp, nasal, downward-slurred 'bree-er' or 'pip-pip-pip-preeeeee,' lacking the rapid trill of its lookalikes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. David Tattersley · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Named in honor of Darius N. Couch, a 19th-century soldier and naturalist who collected the type specimen.
Indistinguishable from the Tropical Kingbird by plumage alone, requiring vocalization or bill measurements for positive ID.
Often engages in 'hawking,' where it sally-flights from a high perch to snatch large insects mid-air.
Was considered a subspecies of the Tropical Kingbird until 1980, when distinct vocalizations confirmed it as a separate species.
Highly territorial, it is known to fearlessly dive-bomb much larger birds, including hawks and crows, that enter its nesting area.

Habitat

Subtropical scrub, riverside thickets, open woodlands, and urban parks with tall trees.

Range

Primarily the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas southward through eastern Mexico to northern Guatemala and Belize.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Cassin's KingbirdTyrannus vociferans Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus Fork-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus savana Giant KingbirdTyrannus cubensis Gray KingbirdTyrannus dominicensis Loggerhead KingbirdTyrannus caudifasciatus Scissor-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus forficatus Snowy-throated KingbirdTyrannus niveigularis

Heard a Couch's Kingbird?

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