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?

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Do I need an account or internet to identify a bird?

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Birdsong field guide

Russet-naped Wood-Rail

Aramides albiventris

The Russet-naped Wood-Rail is a large, vocal rail of Central American wetlands, distinguished by its rufous hindneck and olive-toned upperparts. It was formerly considered the same species as the Grey-necked Wood-Rail before being taxonomically split.

What it sounds like

A loud, repetitive, and rhythmic series of cackling notes, often transcribed as 'pop-ti-glow' or 'kui-co-gui-co'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Brendan Sloan · Costa RicaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

It possesses a distinctive white patch on the center of its belly, which is the basis for its specific epithet 'albiventris'.
This species is predominantly crepuscular, meaning it is most active and vocal during the dawn and dusk hours.
Unlike many elusive rail species, it is frequently seen walking in the open along muddy riverbanks or mangrove edges.
The bird has strikingly bright red irises and long, coral-pink legs that aid in navigating tangled wetland vegetation.
Pairs are known to perform loud, synchronized duets to mark their territory, often triggered by the calls of neighboring pairs.

Habitat

Mangrove swamps, freshwater marshes, and gallery forests near slow-moving rivers.

Range

Southeastern Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula south through Central America to Costa Rica.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Brown Wood-RailAramides wolfi Giant Wood-RailAramides ypecaha Gray-cowled Wood-RailAramides cajaneus Little Wood-RailAramides mangle Red-winged Wood-RailAramides calopterus Red-winged Wood-RailAramides calopterus Rufous-necked Wood-RailAramides axillaris Slaty-breasted Wood-RailAramides saracura

Heard a Russet-naped Wood-Rail?

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