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

Pallas's Bunting

Emberiza pallasi

A small, delicate passerine of the eastern Palearctic, the Pallas's Bunting is a hardy migrant often confused with the Common Reed Bunting.

What it sounds like

A thin, high-pitched 'tswee' or 'zeep' call; the song is a simple, repetitive series of buzzy, metallic notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Stanislas Wroza · MongoliaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is named after the Prussian zoologist Peter Simon Pallas, who first described the species in 1776.
Breeding males feature a striking jet-black hood and throat contrasted against a bright white collar and underparts.
The species is distinguished from the similar Common Reed Bunting by its smaller size, finer bill, and consistently paler or white rump.
During the winter, its diet shifts almost exclusively to seeds, while it relies heavily on insects during the breeding season.
It is a long-distance migrant, with some populations traveling from the high Arctic tundra to the subtropical marshes of Southeast Asia.

Habitat

Dwarf willow thickets, tundra scrub, and riparian areas; winters in reed beds and grassy fields.

Range

Breeds across Siberia, Mongolia, and northern China; winters in East Asia, including Japan and Korea.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-faced BuntingEmberiza spodocephala Black-headed BuntingEmberiza melanocephala Brown-rumped BuntingEmberiza affinis Cabanis's BuntingEmberiza cabanisi Cape BuntingEmberiza capensis Chestnut BuntingEmberiza rutila Chestnut-eared BuntingEmberiza fucata Cinereous BuntingEmberiza cineracea

Heard a Pallas's Bunting?

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