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-shouldered Tanager

Tachyphonus phoenicius

The Red-shouldered Tanager is a distinctive, sexually dimorphic songbird found in the specialized sandy-soil savannas of northern South America. It is characterized by the male's glossy black plumage punctuated by a vibrant red patch on the shoulder.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, thin 'tsit' or a sharp, rising 'tsee' note, often delivered in a simple, repetitive sequence.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / --:--

Rec. Mauricio Cuéllar Ramírez · ColombiaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males are nearly entirely black but possess a bright red lesser wing-covert patch and a small white patch under the wing.
Unlike the males, females are largely inconspicuous with brownish-gray upperparts and paler, buffy-gray underparts.
This species is an ecological specialist, almost exclusively restricted to nutrient-poor white-sand savannas known as 'campinas' or 'campinaranas'.
Their diet is omnivorous, consisting of a variety of small berries and arthropods foraged in low to mid-level vegetation.
While they may occasionally join mixed-species flocks, they are most frequently observed foraging in pairs or small family groups.

Habitat

White-sand savannas, stunted scrublands, and the edges of gallery forests.

Range

The Guianas, southern Venezuela, eastern Colombia, and the Amazon basin of Brazil and Peru.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Fulvous-crested TanagerTachyphonus surinamus Ruby-crowned TanagerTachyphonus coronatus Tawny-crested TanagerTachyphonus delatrii White-lined TanagerTachyphonus rufus

Heard a Red-shouldered Tanager?

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