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-chested Cuckoo

Cuculus solitarius

The Red-chested Cuckoo is a medium-sized African bird famous for its distinctive, persistent three-note call and its role as a specialized brood parasite.

What it sounds like

A loud, clear, descending three-note whistle, often transcribed as 'it-will-rain' or 'piet-my-vrou'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. David Tattersley · KenyaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Known colloquially in Southern Africa as the 'Piet-my-vrou' due to the phonetic similarity of its vocalization.
The species is an intra-African migrant, moving from the equatorial regions to southern Africa to breed during the austral summer.
It primarily targets Cape Robin-chats and other thrushes as hosts for its eggs, which often mimic the host's egg coloration.
Like many cuckoos, it has a specialized diet consisting largely of hairy caterpillars that are unpalatable to most other birds.
The female can lay up to 20 eggs in a single season, placing them individually in different host nests.

Habitat

Afromontane forests, riparian woodlands, and well-wooded suburban gardens.

Range

Widespread across Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding the most arid desert regions.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African CuckooCuculus gularis Black CuckooCuculus clamosus Common CuckooCuculus canorus Himalayan CuckooCuculus saturatus Indian CuckooCuculus micropterus Lesser CuckooCuculus poliocephalus Madagascar CuckooCuculus rochii Oriental CuckooCuculus optatus

Heard a Red-chested Cuckoo?

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