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

Long-tailed Widowbird

Euplectes progne

A striking African weaverbird famous for the breeding male's dramatic black plumage and an extraordinarily long, flowing tail used in sexual displays.

What it sounds like

A series of thin, high-pitched metallic 'zik' or 'tsip' notes often followed by a rapid, chattering trill.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Dries Van de Loock · ZambiaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Breeding males possess a tail that can exceed 50 centimeters in length, often more than double their body length.
The species is a classic example of sexual selection, where female preference drives the evolution of extreme, energetically costly ornaments.
Males perform a characteristic 'floppy' display flight low over the grass to showcase their tail feathers to potential mates.
Outside the breeding season, males molt into a cryptic, streaky buff-brown plumage that makes them nearly indistinguishable from females.
They are highly polygynous, with a single male often defending a territory containing the nests of multiple females.

Habitat

Open montane grasslands, high-altitude marshes, and moist plateau sourveld.

Range

Fragmented populations across South Africa, Lesotho, the Kenyan highlands, and central Angola.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black BishopEuplectes gierowii Black-winged BishopEuplectes hordeaceus Buff-shouldered WidowbirdEuplectes psammacromius Fan-tailed WidowbirdEuplectes axillaris Fire-fronted BishopEuplectes diadematus Golden-backed BishopEuplectes aureus Jackson's WidowbirdEuplectes jacksoni Jackson's WidowbirdEuplectes jacksoni

Heard a Long-tailed Widowbird?

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