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

Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo

Coccyzus vetula

The Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo is a large, endemic bird characterized by its slow, deliberate movements and exceptionally long, graduated tail. It is a specialized predator often found stalking lizards through the dense canopy of Jamaican woodlands.

What it sounds like

A harsh, rapid-fire series of 'ka-ka-ka-ka' notes that slows down into a sequence of guttural, descending 'turt-turt-turt' sounds.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:11

Rec. Andrew Spencer · JamaicaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Unlike many Old World cuckoos, this species is not a brood parasite and builds its own nest to raise its young.
Its diet consists primarily of Anolis lizards, though it also consumes large insects, frogs, and occasionally small birds.
It possesses a distinctive red ring of bare skin around the eye and rufous-colored patches on its primary wing feathers.
The species is known for its 'creeping' hunting style, moving slowly through foliage and remaining motionless for long periods to ambush prey.
It was formerly placed in the genus Saurothera, a name derived from Greek meaning 'lizard hunter.'

Habitat

Primary and secondary broadleaf forests, wooded hillsides, and mature gardens with dense overhead cover.

Range

Endemic to the island of Jamaica.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bay-breasted CuckooCoccyzus rufigularis Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmus Chestnut-bellied CuckooCoccyzus pluvialis Cocos CuckooCoccyzus ferrugineus Dark-billed CuckooCoccyzus melacoryphus Gray-capped CuckooCoccyzus lansbergi Great Lizard-CuckooCoccyzus merlini Hispaniolan Lizard-CuckooCoccyzus longirostris

Heard a Jamaican Lizard-Cuckoo?

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