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

Foothill Elaenia

Myiopagis olallai

A small, inconspicuous tyrant flycatcher of the Andean foothills, first formally described by science in 2001.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, thin, and slightly descending 'tsee-ee-ee-oo' whistle, sometimes followed by shorter notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · EcuadorCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

It was overlooked for decades due to its similarity to the Forest Elaenia before being recognized as a distinct species.
Unlike many other Myiopagis species, it lacks bold wing bars, possessing only narrow, pale edgings on the secondary feathers.
It features a small, often concealed white or pale yellow crown patch that is typically hidden unless the bird is excited.
The species is highly canopy-dwelling, making it much easier to detect by its vocalizations than by sight.
Its distribution is remarkably disjunct, occurring in isolated pockets of suitable elevation across several South American countries.

Habitat

Primary humid montane forests and mature secondary growth, specifically in the narrow foothill transition zone.

Range

Discontinuous range along the eastern slopes of the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, with an isolated population in Venezuela.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Amazonian ElaeniaMyiopagis cinerea Choco ElaeniaMyiopagis parambae Forest ElaeniaMyiopagis gaimardii Gray-headed ElaeniaMyiopagis caniceps Greenish ElaeniaMyiopagis viridicata Jamaican ElaeniaMyiopagis cotta Pacific ElaeniaMyiopagis subplacens Yellow-crowned ElaeniaMyiopagis flavivertex

Heard a Foothill Elaenia?

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