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

Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler

Helopsaltes ochotensis

A secretive, brownish passerine characterized by its insect-like song and preference for dense coastal undergrowth. It is a long-distance migrant that travels between Northeast Asian breeding grounds and Southeast Asian wintering sites.

What it sounds like

A rhythmic, mechanical, and repetitive series of metallic chirping notes, typically rendered as 'chikka-chikka-chikka'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 1:13

Rec. Ding Li Yong · JapanCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Recent taxonomic revisions moved this species from the genus Locustella to the newly established Helopsaltes.
It is named after Alexander von Middendorff, a 19th-century Russian zoologist and Siberian explorer.
The species is known for its terrestrial behavior, often running through thick grass in a mouse-like fashion rather than flying when disturbed.
It is morphologically similar to Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler but is distinguished by its unstreaked or very lightly streaked upperparts.
The tail is notably rounded and the feathers often exhibit subtle pale tips visible during flight or display.

Habitat

Dense coastal scrub, tall grasslands, and riparian thickets, usually near water.

Range

Breeds in Northeast Asia, including Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and Japan; winters in the Philippines, Borneo, and Sulawesi.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Gray's Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes fasciolatus Marsh GrassbirdHelopsaltes pryeri Pallas's Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes certhiola Pleske's Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes pleskei Pleske's Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes pleskei Sakhalin Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes amnicola Sakhalin Grasshopper WarblerHelopsaltes amnicola

Heard a Middendorff's Grasshopper 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