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

Sand-colored Nighthawk

Chordeiles rupestris

A distinctively pale, gregarious nightjar of the Amazonian river systems, specialized for life on open sandbars.

What it sounds like

A low, rhythmic, and guttural 'wa-uk, wa-uk' or soft chuckling notes delivered during flight.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Guy Kirwan · ColombiaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is notably more diurnal than most nightjars, often seen foraging in broad daylight or late afternoon.
Unlike most of its cryptic relatives, it possesses exceptionally pale, sandy-colored plumage to blend in with riverine sediment.
The species is highly social, frequently nesting in large, dense colonies on exposed islands during the dry season.
Its wings feature prominent white patches that are highly visible during its characteristically erratic, buoyant flight.
To protect ground nests from predators, adults perform elaborate 'broken-wing' distraction displays on the sand.

Habitat

Large tropical rivers, expansive sandbars, and riverine islands.

Range

Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America, including Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Antillean NighthawkChordeiles gundlachii Common NighthawkChordeiles minor Least NighthawkChordeiles pusillus Lesser NighthawkChordeiles acutipennis Nacunda NighthawkChordeiles nacunda

Heard a Sand-colored Nighthawk?

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