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

Rustic Bunting

Emberiza rustica

A medium-sized Palearctic passerine distinguished by its striking rusty-brown plumage, white underparts, and a distinctive peaked crown.

What it sounds like

A sharp, high-pitched, metallic 'tsip' or 'zit' call; song is a short, sweet, melodic warble with a melancholic tone.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:51

Rec. Lars Edenius · SwedenCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Breeding males exhibit a bold black head with a contrasting white supercilium and a white spot on the nape.
The species is currently classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to a rapid population decline across its range.
It primarily nests on or near the ground within damp, mossy coniferous or birch woodlands.
The Rustic Bunting is a long-distance migrant, with the vast majority of the population wintering in East Asia.
It is a rare but regular vagrant to the Aleutian Islands and the western coast of North America during migration.

Habitat

Wet coniferous forests, taiga bogs, and birch thickets; winters in cultivated fields and open scrub.

Range

Breeds from Fennoscandia across Northern Asia to the Pacific; winters mainly in Japan, Korea, and Eastern China.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-faced BuntingEmberiza spodocephala Black-headed BuntingEmberiza melanocephala Brown-rumped BuntingEmberiza affinis Cabanis's BuntingEmberiza cabanisi Cape BuntingEmberiza capensis Chestnut BuntingEmberiza rutila Chestnut-eared BuntingEmberiza fucata Cinereous BuntingEmberiza cineracea

Heard a Rustic Bunting?

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