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

Magpie Mannikin

Spermestes fringilloides

The Magpie Mannikin is the largest and most robust of the African mannikins, distinguished by its striking pied plumage and massive bicolored bill.

What it sounds like

A sharp, metallic 'tik-tik' or 'peet' and a quiet, complex song of trills and whistles.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Jonathan Onongo · UgandaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is a bamboo specialist, often timing its movements and breeding to coincide with the irregular masting cycles of bamboo species.
Despite its name and magpie-like coloration, it is an estrildid finch and is not related to the corvid family.
The species possesses a powerful, heavy bill used to crack large seeds that other mannikins cannot process.
It is highly social but more shy than its relatives, typically seen in small groups of 5 to 12 individuals near dense cover.
Nests are large, untidy domes of grass often situated high in trees or within the thorny protection of acacia branches.

Habitat

Bamboo thickets, forest edges, riverine scrub, and lush rank grasslands.

Range

Patchy distribution across Sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south to South Africa.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-and-white MannikinSpermestes bicolor Bronze MannikinSpermestes cucullata Gray-headed SilverbillSpermestes griseicapilla

Heard a Magpie Mannikin?

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