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-hooded Parrotbill

Suthora zappeyi

A rare, small songbird endemic to south-central China, easily identified by its soft gray hood and robust, parrot-like bill.

What it sounds like

A rapid, high-pitched series of 'tsit-tsit-tsit' notes often ending in a dry chatter.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is a bamboo specialist, almost exclusively found in dense high-altitude arrow bamboo thickets.
The species is currently listed as Vulnerable due to a small, declining population restricted by habitat fragmentation.
Outside of the breeding season, it is highly social and typically travels in small flocks of up to 15 birds.
Its powerful bill is evolutionarily adapted to crush bamboo sheaths to forage for insects and larvae.
It occupies a narrow elevational band, usually residing between 2,500 and 3,500 meters above sea level.

Habitat

Montane bamboo forests and subalpine scrub.

Range

Endemic to south-central China, specifically the mountains of Sichuan and Guizhou.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Ashy-throated ParrotbillSuthora alphonsiana Black-throated ParrotbillSuthora nipalensis Brown-winged ParrotbillSuthora brunnea Eye-ringed ParrotbillSuthora ricketti Fulvous ParrotbillSuthora fulvifrons Golden ParrotbillSuthora verreauxi Pale-billed ParrotbillSuthora atrosuperciliaris Rusty-throated ParrotbillSuthora przewalskii

Heard a Gray-hooded Parrotbill?

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