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

Sparkling Violetear

Colibri coruscans

A large, remarkably aggressive hummingbird distinguished by its iridescent green plumage and vibrant violet-blue patches on the cheek and breast.

What it sounds like

A persistent, rhythmic, and metallic 'tzip-tzip-tzip' or 'cheet' repeated at steady intervals.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · EcuadorCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is highly territorial and known to aggressively displace much larger bird species from nectar sources.
Unlike many hummingbirds, it is conspicuously vocal, often singing for long periods from exposed, high perches.
It has one of the broadest elevational ranges of any Andean hummingbird, occurring from sea level to 4,500 meters.
During courtship, males perform a U-shaped aerial dive to showcase their iridescent plumage to females.
Its diet is supplemented significantly by insects, which it captures via 'hawking' in mid-air or gleaning from foliage.

Habitat

Montane forest edges, gardens, eucalyptus groves, and high-altitude paramo scrub.

Range

Widespread across the Andes Mountains from Venezuela and Colombia south to northwestern Argentina.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Brown VioletearColibri delphinae Lesser VioletearColibri cyanotus Mexican VioletearColibri thalassinus White-vented VioletearColibri serrirostris

Heard a Sparkling Violetear?

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