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

Pygmy Nuthatch

Sitta pygmaea

A tiny, highly social nuthatch of western coniferous forests, distinguished by its communal lifestyle and preference for foraging in the outermost needles of yellow pines.

What it sounds like

High-pitched, rapid, and staccato 'pip-pip-pip' or 'squeaky toy' notes, often delivered in a constant chatter.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Greg Irving · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

One of the few North American passerines to practice cooperative breeding, where 'helpers' assist the breeding pair with nest defense and feeding.
During winter, they exhibit extreme communal roosting, with over 150 individuals recorded huddling in a single tree cavity to conserve heat.
They are capable of entering controlled nocturnal torpor, lowering their body temperature to survive freezing mountain nights.
Unlike most nuthatches that forage primarily on trunks, this species spends significant time acrobatically hanging from the tips of pine needles.
Their population is highly dependent on standing dead trees (snags), as they are primary cavity nesters that excavate their own holes in softened wood.

Habitat

Mature ponderosa, Jeffrey, and other long-leafed pine forests.

Range

Western North America, from southern British Columbia through the montane regions of Mexico.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Algerian NuthatchSitta ledanti Bahama NuthatchSitta insularis Beautiful NuthatchSitta formosa Blue NuthatchSitta azurea Brown-headed NuthatchSitta pusilla Burmese NuthatchSitta neglecta Chestnut-bellied NuthatchSitta cinnamoventris Chestnut-vented NuthatchSitta nagaensis

Heard a Pygmy Nuthatch?

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