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

Small-billed Elaenia

Elaenia parvirostris

The Small-billed Elaenia is a small, inconspicuous tyrant flycatcher characterized by its olive-gray plumage and notable austral migratory behavior. It is frequently distinguished from its congeners by its relatively diminutive bill and lack of a prominent white crown patch.

What it sounds like

A dry, burry, and slightly rising 'bwee-rree' or a hoarse, whistled 'whee-ur'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · BrazilCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is a long-distance austral migrant, breeding in temperate southern South America and wintering as far north as the Amazon basin and Caribbean coast.
The species typically displays three whitish wing bars, whereas many similar flycatchers only possess two.
It is a classic 'cryptic species,' often requiring vocalization or precise measurements to distinguish it from the nearly identical White-crested Elaenia.
During the breeding season, it is highly territorial and uses its bushy crest to signal aggression or excitement to rivals.
Its diet is seasonally flexible, shifting from a primarily insectivorous focus during the breeding season to heavy frugivory during migration.

Habitat

Open woodlands, gallery forests, scrubby second growth, and forest edges.

Range

Breeds in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil; migrates to northern South America, including the Amazon, Venezuela, and Colombia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Blue Mountain ElaeniaElaenia fallax Brownish ElaeniaElaenia pelzelni Caribbean ElaeniaElaenia martinica Coopmans's ElaeniaElaenia brachyptera Great ElaeniaElaenia dayi Highland ElaeniaElaenia obscura Hispaniolan ElaeniaElaenia cherriei Large ElaeniaElaenia spectabilis

Heard a Small-billed Elaenia?

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