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 Flycatcher

Empidonax wrightii

A subtle, pale insectivore of the arid West, the Gray Flycatcher is most easily distinguished from its lookalike relatives by its unique downward tail-pumping motion.

What it sounds like

A sharp, liquid 'whit' call and a dry, two-syllable song described as 'chwip' or 'quilp'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Greg Irving · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Unlike most Empidonax flycatchers that flick their tails upward, this species pumps its tail in a slow, deliberate downward arc.
It is the palest and grayest member of its genus, featuring a notably long bill with a pale base to the lower mandible.
Gray Flycatchers are highly terrestrial for their genus, frequently hovering over the ground or dropping to the soil to capture insects.
Nests are typically built at low elevations, often tucked into the crotch of a sagebrush, bitterbrush, or juniper limb.
Historically, this bird was taxonomically confused with the Dusky Flycatcher until distinct differences in habitat and behavior were formally recognized.

Habitat

Sagebrush flats, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and arid shrub-steppe environments.

Range

Breeds throughout the Intermountain West of North America; winters in the southwestern United States and central Mexico.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescens Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum Black-capped FlycatcherEmpidonax atriceps Buff-breasted FlycatcherEmpidonax fulvifrons Dusky FlycatcherEmpidonax oberholseri Hammond's FlycatcherEmpidonax hammondii Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimus Pine FlycatcherEmpidonax affinis

Heard a Gray Flycatcher?

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