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

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

A slender and elegant long-winged raptor of the Palearctic, known for its buoyant flight and ground-nesting habits in open landscapes.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, chattering 'kek-kek-kek' alarm and a whistling 'pwee' during courtship food passes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 4:51

Rec. Esperanza Poveda · SpainCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males are uniquely distinguished from other harriers by a distinct black bar across the secondary feathers of the upperwing.
It is a long-distance migrant, with many individuals crossing the Sahara Desert to winter in the Sahel and the Indian subcontinent.
The species performs a spectacular 'sky-dancing' courtship display involving steep undulating dives and mid-air barrel rolls.
They frequently nest in cereal crops, making them highly dependent on 'nest protection' schemes to survive mechanized harvesting.
Unlike many birds of prey, they are semi-colonial and may nest in loose groups where habitat and prey are abundant.

Habitat

Lowland marshes, steppe, heathlands, and agricultural cereal fields.

Range

Breeds across Europe and Central Asia; winters in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African Marsh HarrierCircus ranivorus Black HarrierCircus maurus Cinereous HarrierCircus cinereus Eastern Marsh HarrierCircus spilonotus Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus Long-winged HarrierCircus buffoni Malagasy HarrierCircus macrosceles Northern HarrierCircus hudsonius

Heard a Montagu's Harrier?

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