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

Dunnock

Prunella modularis

A small, unobtrusive passerine with lead-grey underparts and a streaked brown back, often seen hopping nervously near dense cover.

What it sounds like

A fast, flat, and shrill warbling song that lasts about two seconds; the common call is a high-pitched, piping 'tseep'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 1:10

Rec. Stanislas Wroza · FranceCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Despite being called the 'Hedge Sparrow,' it is an accentor (family Prunellidae) and is not closely related to true sparrows.
It exhibits one of the most complex mating systems of any bird, including monogamy, polyandry, polygyny, and polygynandry.
Males engage in 'cloaca-pecking,' where they peck the female's vent to induce the ejection of a rival male's sperm before mating.
It is a frequent host of the Common Cuckoo, yet unlike many other hosts, it rarely rejects the parasitic egg despite the color mismatch.
The thin, needle-like bill is a specialized tool for picking up small insects, spiders, and fine seeds in dense undergrowth.

Habitat

Deciduous and coniferous woodlands, scrubland, hedgerows, and well-vegetated suburban gardens.

Range

Widespread across temperate Europe and parts of Asian Russia, with introduced populations in New Zealand.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Alpine AccentorPrunella collaris Altai AccentorPrunella himalayana Black-throated AccentorPrunella atrogularis Brown AccentorPrunella fulvescens Japanese AccentorPrunella rubida Maroon-backed AccentorPrunella immaculata Mongolian AccentorPrunella koslowi Radde's AccentorPrunella ocularis

Heard a Dunnock?

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