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

Red-billed Firefinch

Lagonosticta senegala

A small, gregarious estrildid finch common across Sub-Saharan Africa, characterized by its distinctive red bill and the male's vibrant rosy plumage.

What it sounds like

A clear, rising whistle 'twee-twee' accompanied by sharp, clicking 'pit-pit' alarm notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:16

Rec. Romuald Mikusek · GambiaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males are predominantly rose-red with tiny white spots on the breast, while females are mostly grey-brown with red lores.
It is the primary host for the Village Indigobird, a brood parasite whose chicks mimic the firefinch's specific gape patterns.
Remarkably tame, these birds are frequently seen foraging for seeds inside human dwellings and around livestock pens.
They are highly social and often congregate in large mixed-species flocks with other waxbills and granivores.
Nests are small, domed structures made of grass and lined with feathers, often built low to the ground in thorny bushes.

Habitat

Dry savanna, thorn scrub, agricultural land, and urban gardens.

Range

Widespread throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African FirefinchLagonosticta rubricata Bar-breasted FirefinchLagonosticta rufopicta Black-bellied FirefinchLagonosticta rara Black-faced FirefinchLagonosticta larvata Brown FirefinchLagonosticta nitidula Chad FirefinchLagonosticta umbrinodorsalis Jameson's FirefinchLagonosticta rhodopareia Mali FirefinchLagonosticta virata

Heard a Red-billed Firefinch?

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