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

Northern Yellow Warbler

Setophaga aestiva

A small, vibrantly colored songbird characterized by its brilliant yellow plumage and energetic, insect-gleaning behavior in deciduous thickets.

What it sounds like

A musical, accelerating series of whistling notes often transcribed as 'sweet-sweet-sweet-I'm-so-sweet'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Rory Nefdt · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

To counter brood parasitism, they often build a new nest floor directly over the eggs of Brown-headed Cowbirds.
Adult males feature distinctive reddish-chestnut streaks on their breasts, which are faint or absent in females.
They are highly migratory, with some populations traveling from the Arctic Circle to the Amazon basin annually.
Their diet is almost exclusively insectivorous, focusing heavily on caterpillars, beetles, and spiders gleaned from foliage.
While formerly grouped under Setophaga petechia, the 'aestiva' group is distinct for its preference for temperate breeding grounds.

Habitat

Willow thickets, riparian woodlands, marshes, and suburban orchards.

Range

Breeds across most of North America; winters in Central America and northern South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Adelaide's WarblerSetophaga adelaidae American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla Arrowhead WarblerSetophaga pharetra Bahama WarblerSetophaga flavescens Barbuda WarblerSetophaga subita Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castanea Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescens Black-throated Gray WarblerSetophaga nigrescens

Heard a Northern Yellow 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