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 Bushchat

Saxicola ferreus

The Gray Bushchat is a small, insectivorous passerine of the chat family, distinguished by its slate-gray plumage and prominent white supercilium in males.

What it sounds like

A rapid, high-pitched metallic warble and a sharp, rasping 'tsack-tsack' alarm call.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:36

Rec. Bo Shunqi 薄顺奇 · ChinaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males exhibit a striking dark mask and silver-gray upperparts, while females are duller brown with a distinct rufous-toned rump.
The species is a vertical migrant, breeding at altitudes up to 3,500 meters in the Himalayas and descending to lower foothills during winter.
Unlike many related species in the genus Saxicola, the Gray Bushchat lacks a white neck patch or rufous breast in males.
They are primarily insectivorous, often seen perched on prominent branches or wires from which they sally out to catch flying insects.
Nests are typically cup-shaped structures built by the female, hidden on the ground among grass or tucked into rocky crevices.

Habitat

Open broadleaf forests, scrubby hillsides, terraced cultivation, and forest edges.

Range

Himalayas and Southeast Asia, ranging from Pakistan and India through southern China to Vietnam.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African StonechatSaxicola torquatus Amur StonechatSaxicola stejnegeri European StonechatSaxicola rubicola Fuerteventura StonechatSaxicola dacotiae Jerdon's BushchatSaxicola jerdoni Pied BushchatSaxicola caprata Reunion StonechatSaxicola tectes Siberian StonechatSaxicola maurus

Heard a Gray Bushchat?

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