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

Gray-breasted Crake

Laterallus exilis

A diminutive and elusive member of the rail family, the Gray-breasted Crake is characterized by its slate-gray underparts and striking chestnut nape.

What it sounds like

A rapid, descending series of mechanical, dry rattling notes or a high-pitched, staccato 'keck-keck-keck' trill.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Paul Lenrumé · French GuianaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is one of the smallest crakes in the Neotropics, typically measuring only 14 to 16 centimeters in length.
The species is highly secretive and crepuscular, making it significantly easier to detect by sound than by sight.
It constructs a globular nest of woven grass with a side entrance, usually hidden deep within dense marsh vegetation.
Unlike some strictly aquatic rails, it often inhabits damp secondary growth and overgrown rice fields.
The bird possesses long, greenish-yellow toes that allow it to walk effectively over floating vegetation and tangled grasses.

Habitat

Wet grasslands, freshwater marshes, rice paddies, and damp meadows with tall, dense cover.

Range

Humid lowlands of Central and South America, ranging from Belize south to Paraguay and northern Argentina.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black RailLaterallus jamaicensis Dot-winged CrakeLaterallus spiloptera Galapagos RailLaterallus spilonota Inaccessible Island RailLaterallus rogersi Ruddy CrakeLaterallus ruber Rufous-sided CrakeLaterallus melanophaius Rusty-flanked CrakeLaterallus levraudi Rusty-flanked CrakeLaterallus levraudi

Heard a Gray-breasted Crake?

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