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

Oriental Cuckoo

Cuculus optatus

A medium-sized brood parasite of the Cuculidae family, the Oriental Cuckoo is famous for its mimicry of leaf warblers and its long-distance migrations.

What it sounds like

A deep, rhythmic, and hollow series of double-notes sounding like 'poo-poo, poo-poo,' similar to a Hoopoe but lower in pitch.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:58

Rec. Peter Boesman · ChinaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is a brood parasite that primarily targets the nests of various leaf warblers in the genus Phylloscopus.
Adult females occur in two distinct color morphs: a standard gray form and a rufous, heavily barred 'hepatic' form.
The species is morphologically nearly identical to the Himalayan Cuckoo, making vocalization the most reliable field identification method.
During the breeding season, it inhabits the vast northern taiga and montane forests of Eurasia.
Its diet consists mainly of insects, with a particular specialization in eating hairy caterpillars that many other birds avoid.

Habitat

Coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests, often associated with taiga and montane woodland.

Range

Breeds across Northern Eurasia from Russia to Japan; winters in Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Australasia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African CuckooCuculus gularis Black CuckooCuculus clamosus Common CuckooCuculus canorus Himalayan CuckooCuculus saturatus Indian CuckooCuculus micropterus Lesser CuckooCuculus poliocephalus Madagascar CuckooCuculus rochii Red-chested CuckooCuculus solitarius

Heard a Oriental Cuckoo?

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Identify a bird by its song