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

MacGillivray's Warbler

Geothlypis tolmiei

A shy, ground-dwelling wood-warbler of the West, recognized by its distinctive slate-gray hood and bold white eye-crescents.

What it sounds like

A rapid, rolling series of buzzy notes ending in a lower pitch, often transcribed as 'churry-churry-churry-tell-it'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 1:07

Rec. Sue Riffe · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is distinguished from the nearly identical Mourning Warbler by its conspicuous, broken white eye-ring.
A notorious 'skulker', it spends the majority of its time foraging deep within dense, low-level shrubbery.
The species was named by John James Audubon to honor his colleague, Scottish ornithologist William MacGillivray.
Hybridization occurs with Mourning Warblers in narrow contact zones within the Canadian Rockies.
They are altitudinal migrants, often moving to higher elevations after breeding before heading south for winter.

Habitat

Dense coniferous undergrowth, riparian thickets, and regenerating burn areas.

Range

Breeds across Western North America; winters primarily in Mexico and Central America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Altamira YellowthroatGeothlypis flavovelata Bahama YellowthroatGeothlypis rostrata Belding's YellowthroatGeothlypis beldingi Black-lored YellowthroatGeothlypis auricularis Black-polled YellowthroatGeothlypis speciosa Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas Gray-crowned YellowthroatGeothlypis poliocephala Hooded YellowthroatGeothlypis nelsoni

Heard a MacGillivray's Warbler?

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