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 Skylark

Alauda gulgula

A small, cryptically colored passerine known for its elaborate aerial song displays performed high above open landscapes. It is a common resident across the diverse grasslands and agricultural regions of South and Southeast Asia.

What it sounds like

A complex, continuous stream of high-pitched liquid trills, chirps, and mimicry delivered during flight.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 5:52

Rec. Bo Shunqi 薄顺奇 · ChinaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Famous for a spectacular hovering song-flight where it remains stationary in the air for several minutes while singing.
Possesses a short, retractable crest that is typically raised when the bird is excited or displaying on the ground.
Its plumage is highly camouflaged with tawny-brown streaking to blend in with sandy and loamy soils.
Nests exclusively on the ground in shallow, grass-lined depressions often concealed by overhanging vegetation.
Highly polytypic species with numerous subspecies varying in size and bill length across its vast Asian range.

Habitat

Open grasslands, dry agricultural fields, meadows, and riverine floodplains.

Range

Southern, Central, and Southeast Asia, ranging from Iran and India to the Philippines.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Eurasian SkylarkAlauda arvensis Raso SkylarkAlauda razae White-winged LarkAlauda leucoptera

Heard a Oriental Skylark?

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