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 Bunting

Emberiza variabilis

A shy, medium-sized songbird of East Asia, the Gray Bunting is unique for the male's uniform slaty-gray plumage and its preference for dense, shaded undergrowth.

What it sounds like

A sharp, metallic 'zit' or 'tsip' call; the song is a short, sweet series of high-pitched whistles.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:53

Rec. Vadim Ivushkin · Russian FederationCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males are almost entirely lead-gray, while females are brown, heavily streaked, and resemble other female bunting species.
It is notoriously secretive, often detected only by its call as it forages deep within thick bamboo or brush.
The species is partially migratory, breeding in northern Japan and the Russian Far East while wintering in southern Japan and eastern China.
Unlike many buntings that prefer open fields, this species is specifically adapted to the dark forest floor of montane and coastal woods.
During the breeding season, it is primarily found in the Sakhalin and Kuril Islands, as well as northern Japanese islands like Hokkaido.

Habitat

Dense undergrowth of coniferous and mixed forests, often in mountainous areas or near coastal thickets.

Range

Eastern Palearctic, including Japan, eastern Russia, and southeastern China.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-faced BuntingEmberiza spodocephala Black-headed BuntingEmberiza melanocephala Brown-rumped BuntingEmberiza affinis Cabanis's BuntingEmberiza cabanisi Cape BuntingEmberiza capensis Chestnut BuntingEmberiza rutila Chestnut-eared BuntingEmberiza fucata Cinereous BuntingEmberiza cineracea

Heard a Gray Bunting?

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