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

Slender-billed Grackle

Quiscalus palustris

The Slender-billed Grackle is an extinct icterid bird that was once endemic to the high-altitude wetlands of central Mexico. It was characterized by its specialized thin bill and its strict reliance on the now-vanished marshes of the Valley of Mexico.

What it sounds like

Historical accounts describe its vocalizations as a series of harsh, metallic whistles and raspy, liquid chirps.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

The species is officially declared extinct, with the last confirmed specimen collected in 1910 near Mexico City.
It was historically significant to the Aztec people and is depicted in various pre-colonial codices and artwork.
Unlike its thriving, generalist relatives, this grackle was a habitat specialist that could not survive outside of dense marshland.
The primary cause of its extinction was the massive drainage of Lake Texcoco and surrounding wetlands for urban and agricultural expansion.
Morphologically, it was smaller than the Great-tailed Grackle and possessed a uniquely delicate, elongated bill adapted for marsh foraging.

Habitat

Freshwater marshes and riparian reed beds dominated by bulrushes and cattails.

Range

Endemic to the Valley of Mexico and the upper Toluca Valley in central Mexico.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Boat-tailed GrackleQuiscalus major Carib GrackleQuiscalus lugubris Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula Great-tailed GrackleQuiscalus mexicanus Greater Antillean GrackleQuiscalus niger Nicaraguan GrackleQuiscalus nicaraguensis

Heard a Slender-billed Grackle?

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