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?

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Birdsong field guide

Jambandu Indigobird

Vidua raricola

A specialized brood-parasitic songbird known for its metallic greenish-black breeding plumage and its remarkable ability to mimic the vocalizations of its specific waxbill host.

What it sounds like

A complex medley of raspy, chattering 'indigobird' notes interspersed with faithful mimicry of the Zebra Waxbill's high-pitched whistles and trills.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Raphaël Jordan · Sierra LeoneCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

The species is a host-specific brood parasite, primarily laying its eggs in the nests of the Zebra Waxbill (Amandava subflava).
Males exhibit distinct seasonal dimorphism, molting from a cryptic, sparrow-like brown into a glossy, dark green-sheened breeding plumage.
Unlike many other parasitic birds, Jambandu Indigobird chicks do not kill the host's offspring, instead being raised alongside them.
Male indigobirds learn the songs of their foster parents, using these mimicked notes to attract females who were also raised by the same host species.
The species was scientifically distinguished from other indigobirds primarily through its unique vocal mimicry and host associations rather than morphology alone.

Habitat

Moist savannas, grasslands, and scrubby areas, particularly near marshes or rank vegetation where host waxbills congregate.

Range

Fragmented distribution across West and Central Africa, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Barka IndigobirdVidua larvaticola Broad-tailed Paradise-WhydahVidua obtusa Cameroon IndigobirdVidua camerunensis Dusky IndigobirdVidua funerea Eastern Paradise-WhydahVidua paradisaea Exclamatory Paradise-WhydahVidua interjecta Green IndigobirdVidua codringtoni Jambandu IndigobirdVidua raricola

Heard a Jambandu Indigobird?

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