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

Pied Bushchat

Saxicola caprata

The Pied Bushchat is a small, insectivorous passerine known for the striking sexual dimorphism of the black-and-white male and the cryptic brown female.

What it sounds like

A clear, melodic whistling song with varied notes; alarm calls are a sharp, metallic 'chak-chak'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 1:04

Rec. Frank Lambert · UzbekistanCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males are almost entirely black except for white wing patches and a white rump/vent area, which are prominent in flight.
Females are duller and brown with a distinct rufous-orange rump, helping them remain camouflaged during ground nesting.
They are sit-and-wait predators that hunt by pouncing on insects from low, prominent perches like fences or tall stalks.
Unlike many chats, they are highly adaptable to human-altered landscapes, frequently seen in urban gardens and croplands.
Their nests are typically built in cavities in earth banks, stone walls, or even thick grass on the ground.

Habitat

Open country including scrublands, agricultural fields, grasslands, and semi-arid plains.

Range

Widespread across West, Central, South, and Southeast Asia, extending to New Guinea.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African StonechatSaxicola torquatus Amur StonechatSaxicola stejnegeri European StonechatSaxicola rubicola Fuerteventura StonechatSaxicola dacotiae Gray BushchatSaxicola ferreus Jerdon's BushchatSaxicola jerdoni Reunion StonechatSaxicola tectes Siberian StonechatSaxicola maurus

Heard a Pied Bushchat?

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