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

Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla tschutschensis

A slender, vibrant passerine characterized by its bright yellow underparts and a rhythmic, near-constant tail-wagging behavior.

What it sounds like

A sharp, penetrating 'tsweep' or 'psit', typically higher-pitched and more buzzy than its Western relative.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Ding Li Yong · MongoliaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Taxonomically split from the Western Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) based on distinct mitochondrial DNA and vocalizations.
Exhibits extreme polytypism with multiple subspecies showing diverse head patterns, ranging from slate-grey to olive-green or black.
Undertakes impressive long-distance migrations, with some populations traveling from Arctic breeding grounds to wintering sites in Australia.
Frequently engages in commensal foraging, following grazing livestock to catch insects flushed by their movement.
Unlike many songbirds, it is primarily terrestrial, preferring to run along the ground rather than hop.

Habitat

Moist grasslands, marshes, wet tundra, and irrigated agricultural fields.

Range

Breeds across East Asia and Alaska; winters in Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Australia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African Pied WagtailMotacilla aguimp Cape WagtailMotacilla capensis Citrine WagtailMotacilla citreola Gray WagtailMotacilla cinerea Japanese WagtailMotacilla grandis Japanese WagtailMotacilla grandis Madagascar WagtailMotacilla flaviventris Mekong WagtailMotacilla samveasnae

Heard a Eastern Yellow Wagtail?

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