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-winged Swallow

Hirundo leucosoma

A small, distinctive swallow of West Africa known for its glossy steel-blue upperparts and prominent white wing patches visible in flight.

What it sounds like

A series of high-pitched, weak chirps and a soft, rhythmic twittering song.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Bram Piot · SenegalCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Possesses unique white patches on the primary coverts that create a 'pied' effect during aerial maneuvers.
Unlike many Hirundo species, it has a relatively short, square-ended tail rather than long streamers.
Constructs a classic cup-shaped nest using mud pellets, often attached to buildings, bridges, or cliff faces.
Is generally sedentary or locally nomadic, following insect abundance dictated by seasonal rainfall.
Forages primarily in pairs or small family groups rather than the massive communal flocks seen in migratory swallows.

Habitat

Open savanna, woodland clearings, and rural human settlements, usually in close proximity to water.

Range

West Africa, ranging from Senegal and Gambia eastward to Nigeria and northern Cameroon.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Angola SwallowHirundo angolensis Barn SwallowHirundo rustica Black-and-rufous SwallowHirundo nigrorufa Ethiopian SwallowHirundo aethiopica Hill SwallowHirundo domicola Montane Blue SwallowHirundo atrocaerulea Pacific SwallowHirundo javanica Pearl-breasted SwallowHirundo dimidiata

Heard a Pied-winged Swallow?

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Identify a bird by its song