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

Elliot's Woodpecker

Dendropicos elliotii

Elliot's Woodpecker is a medium-sized African woodpecker distinguished by its olive-green upperparts and yellowish-white underparts marked with dark streaks. It is a specialist of the tropical forest canopy, often identified by its distinctively striped facial pattern.

What it sounds like

A sharp, high-pitched 'wick' or 'pitt' note, sometimes given in a fast, chattering series during displays.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Magnus Wadstein · UgandaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males possess a small, bright red patch on the rear of the crown which is entirely absent in females.
They are frequently observed as members of mixed-species foraging flocks, moving through the high canopy to hunt for insects.
Their foraging technique relies more on gleaning and probing moss and bark rather than heavy wood-excavation.
The species is often divided into two distinct groups, with the montane 'Johnston's Woodpecker' sometimes considered a separate species.
They primarily inhabit the 'inner' forest, rarely venturing into open woodlands or fragmented agricultural landscapes.

Habitat

Moist lowland and montane evergreen forests, including mature secondary growth.

Range

Central and West Africa, ranging from Nigeria and Cameroon to Uganda and northern Angola.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Abyssinian WoodpeckerDendropicos abyssinicus African Gray WoodpeckerDendropicos goertae Brown-backed WoodpeckerDendropicos obsoletus Cardinal WoodpeckerDendropicos fuscescens Gabon WoodpeckerDendropicos gabonensis Little Gray WoodpeckerDendropicos elachus Melancholy WoodpeckerDendropicos lugubris Mountain Gray WoodpeckerDendropicos spodocephalus

Heard a Elliot's Woodpecker?

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