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

Nuttall's Woodpecker

Dryobates nuttallii

A small, black-and-white woodpecker defined by its horizontally barred back, primarily endemic to the oak-rich landscapes of the California Floristic Province.

What it sounds like

A sharp, high-pitched 'pitit' note and a rapid, rolling rattle that stays on one pitch.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:07

Rec. Thomas G. Graves · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is almost entirely restricted to California, making it one of the region's few near-endemic avian species.
Despite living almost exclusively in oak woodlands, it rarely eats acorns, preferring to forage for wood-boring beetles and ants.
Males display a distinct red patch on the back of the crown, which is entirely absent in females.
It frequently hybridizes with the Ladder-backed Woodpecker in narrow zones where oak woodlands meet desert scrub.
The species was named in 1843 by William Gambel to honor his mentor, the pioneering naturalist Thomas Nuttall.

Habitat

Oak woodlands, riparian corridors, and suburban areas with mature oak or sycamore trees.

Range

Cismontane California (west of the Sierra Nevada) and northern Baja California.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Crimson-naped WoodpeckerDryobates cathpharius Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens Hairy WoodpeckerDryobates villosus Ladder-backed WoodpeckerDryobates scalaris Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor Necklaced WoodpeckerDryobates pernyii

Heard a Nuttall's Woodpecker?

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