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

Djibouti Spurfowl

Pternistis ochropectus

The Djibouti Spurfowl is a critically endangered, elusive gamebird and the only avian species endemic to the nation of Djibouti.

What it sounds like

A series of loud, raucous, rhythmic 'krak-krak-krak' or 'quer-quer-quer' notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Gilles Willem · DjiboutiCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is restricted to two isolated mountain massifs, the Goda and Mabla Mountains.
The species was first described by ornithologists relatively recently, in 1952.
Its population has declined drastically due to the massive dieback of African Juniper trees.
It is primarily terrestrial and will run into dense cover rather than fly when threatened.
Unlike most spurfowls, it possesses a distinctively streaked ochre-colored breast and belly.

Habitat

Relict montane juniper forests and boxwood scrub, typically between 700 and 1,700 meters elevation.

Range

The Republic of Djibouti, Horn of Africa.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Ahanta SpurfowlPternistis ahantensis Cape SpurfowlPternistis capensis Chestnut-naped SpurfowlPternistis castaneicollis Clapperton's SpurfowlPternistis clappertoni Double-spurred SpurfowlPternistis bicalcaratus Erckel's SpurfowlPternistis erckelii Gray-breasted SpurfowlPternistis rufopictus Gray-striped SpurfowlPternistis griseostriatus

Heard a Djibouti Spurfowl?

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