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-throated Wryneck

Jynx ruficollis

A specialized African woodpecker relative featuring cryptic, bark-like plumage and a distinctive rufous patch on the throat and upper breast.

What it sounds like

A series of high-pitched, nasal, and penetrating 'kwee-kwee-kwee-kwee' notes, typically delivered in a rapid sequence.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:06

Rec. Daan van der Hoeven · South AfricaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Unlike most woodpeckers, it lacks stiffened rectrices and cannot use its tail for support when climbing vertically.
It performs an elaborate 'snake-mimicry' display when threatened, twisting its neck nearly 180 degrees while hissing.
The species is an obligate secondary cavity nester, relying on abandoned holes made by woodpeckers or barbets.
Its diet is highly stenophagous, consisting almost exclusively of ants and their larvae collected via a long, vermiform tongue.
While it belongs to the Picidae family, its bill is relatively weak and used for probing soft substrates rather than drumming or excavating wood.

Habitat

Open woodlands, savanna-grassland mosaics, forest edges, and suburban gardens.

Range

Sub-Saharan Africa, with disjunct populations across East, Central, and Southern Africa.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Eurasian WryneckJynx torquilla

Heard a Red-throated Wryneck?

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