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

Jameson's Snipe

Gallinago jamesoni

The Jameson's Snipe is a large, stocky wader specialized for high-altitude Andean wetlands, characterized by its cryptic, heavily barred plumage and secretive nature.

What it sounds like

Rhythmic, raspy 'kek-kek-kek' vocalizations delivered during flight, accompanied by a hollow, vibrating 'bleat' produced by the tail feathers.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Niels Krabbe · EcuadorCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is among the largest members of the Gallinago genus, possessing a particularly robust body and elongated bill.
Unlike many congeners, its underparts are entirely covered in dense, dark horizontal barring rather than having a white belly.
During courtship, it performs 'drumming' displays where air rushing over specialized outer tail feathers creates a mechanical humming sound.
Primarily crepuscular and nocturnal, this species remains tightly hunkered in dense bunchgrass or bog vegetation during daylight hours.
It possesses a rhynchokinetic bill, allowing the tip of the upper mandible to be opened independently for grasping prey deep in soft mud.

Habitat

High-elevation páramo, temperate grasslands, and cushion-plant bogs, typically between 2,800 and 4,500 meters.

Range

The Andes mountains, ranging from western Venezuela and Colombia south to northern Bolivia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African SnipeGallinago nigripennis Common SnipeGallinago gallinago Fuegian SnipeGallinago stricklandii Giant SnipeGallinago undulata Great SnipeGallinago media Imperial SnipeGallinago imperialis Jameson's SnipeGallinago jamesoni Latham's SnipeGallinago hardwickii

Heard a Jameson's Snipe?

Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.

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