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-headed Elaenia

Myiopagis caniceps

A small, inconspicuous tyrant flycatcher of the Neotropical canopy, notable for its significant sexual dimorphism compared to other elaenias.

What it sounds like

A thin, high-pitched, rising 'tsee-ee' or a series of descending, sibilant notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:21

Rec. JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · BrazilCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It exhibits strong sexual dimorphism: males are predominantly gray and white, while females are olive-green with yellow underparts.
The species possesses a semi-concealed white or pale yellow crown patch that is typically visible only during social displays.
It is primarily a canopy dweller, often joining mixed-species foraging flocks to hunt for small insects and berries.
The nest is a tiny, inconspicuous cup made of moss and lichen, usually placed high in the forest fork.
Taxonomically complex, it is currently divided into several subspecies across its fragmented South American range.

Habitat

Humid lowland forest canopies, forest edges, and mature secondary growth.

Range

Widespread but disjunct across Panama, the Amazon Basin, and the Atlantic Forest of Brazil and Paraguay.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Amazonian ElaeniaMyiopagis cinerea Choco ElaeniaMyiopagis parambae Foothill ElaeniaMyiopagis olallai Forest ElaeniaMyiopagis gaimardii Greenish ElaeniaMyiopagis viridicata Jamaican ElaeniaMyiopagis cotta Pacific ElaeniaMyiopagis subplacens Yellow-crowned ElaeniaMyiopagis flavivertex

Heard a Gray-headed Elaenia?

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