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

Philadelphia Vireo

Vireo philadelphicus

The Philadelphia Vireo is a small, migratory songbird characterized by its olive-green upperparts and yellow-washed underparts. It is often noted for its striking resemblance to the Red-eyed Vireo, which it mimics to reduce interspecific competition.

What it sounds like

A series of slow, deliberate, burry phrases similar to a Red-eyed Vireo but generally higher in pitch and more hesitant.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Matt Wistrand · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is a social mimic of the larger Red-eyed Vireo, a strategy thought to reduce aggression from the more dominant species.
The species was named after a specimen collected in Philadelphia in 1842, despite only passing through the area during migration.
Unlike the similar Warbling Vireo, its yellowest plumage is concentrated on the throat and breast rather than the flanks.
Its nest is a delicate, hanging cup built in the fork of a branch, usually high in the canopy of a deciduous tree.
While primarily insectivorous during the breeding season, it consumes a significant amount of fruit while wintering in the tropics.

Habitat

Second-growth deciduous forests, woodland edges, and thickets, often near water or in stands of aspen and birch.

Range

Breeds across the boreal forest zone of Canada and the northern US; winters in Central America from Mexico to Panama.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bell's VireoVireo bellii Black-capped VireoVireo atricapilla Black-whiskered VireoVireo altiloquus Blue Mountain VireoVireo osburni Blue-headed VireoVireo solitarius Brown-capped VireoVireo leucophrys Cassin's VireoVireo cassinii Chivi VireoVireo chivi

Heard a Philadelphia Vireo?

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