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

Southern Martin

Progne elegans

A large, powerful swallow of southern South America, the Southern Martin is an aerial insectivore known for its glossy plumage and impressive migratory journeys.

What it sounds like

A series of rich, liquid warbles and gurgling notes, typically described as a throaty 'krew-krew' or 'choo-choo'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Étienne Leroy · ArgentinaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Adult males are entirely covered in glossy, steel-blue feathers, appearing almost black in low light.
The species is an austral migrant, breeding in Argentina and Bolivia before flying north to winter in the Amazon basin and northern South America.
Unlike the closely related Purple Martin, it more frequently utilizes natural tree cavities and rock crevices for nesting rather than human-provided housing.
It is highly gregarious, often forming massive communal roosts that can number in the thousands during the non-breeding season.
Females and juveniles exhibit a distinct 'scaly' appearance on their underparts, with brownish-grey feathers edged in paler tones.

Habitat

Open and semi-open areas, including grasslands, agricultural fields, and urban parks, usually near water.

Range

Breeds in southern South America (Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia); winters north to the Amazon and occasionally Panama.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Brown-chested MartinProgne tapera Caribbean MartinProgne dominicensis Cuban MartinProgne cryptoleuca Galapagos MartinProgne modesta Gray-breasted MartinProgne chalybea Peruvian MartinProgne murphyi Purple MartinProgne subis Sinaloa MartinProgne sinaloae

Heard a Southern Martin?

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