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

Hodgson's Treecreeper

Certhia hodgsoni

A small, specialized passerine of the Himalayan highlands known for its cryptic plumage and distinctive vertical climbing behavior.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, thin 'tsee' call and a song composed of a rapid, descending series of shrill whistling notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Peter Boesman · ChinaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Eurasian Treecreeper but was split due to distinct vocalizations and DNA divergence.
The species utilizes stiff, pointed tail feathers as a structural prop to support its weight while foraging on vertical tree trunks.
Its foraging strategy involves climbing in a spiral pattern up a trunk and then fluttering down to the base of a nearby tree to repeat the process.
Nests are typically constructed in narrow crevices or behind peeling flaps of bark, often in mature coniferous trees.
The bill is uniquely decurved and slender, allowing it to extract spiders and small insects from deep within bark fissures.

Habitat

Montane coniferous and mixed-broadleaf forests, especially those with pine, fir, and birch.

Range

The Himalayan range, extending from northern Pakistan and India through Nepal and Bhutan to southwestern China.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bar-tailed TreecreeperCerthia himalayana Brown CreeperCerthia americana Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris Hume's TreecreeperCerthia manipurensis Rusty-flanked TreecreeperCerthia nipalensis Short-toed TreecreeperCerthia brachydactyla Sichuan TreecreeperCerthia tianquanensis Sikkim TreecreeperCerthia discolor

Heard a Hodgson's Treecreeper?

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