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

St. Lucia Black Finch

Melanospiza richardsoni

The St. Lucia Black Finch is an endangered, ground-foraging songbird endemic to the island of Saint Lucia, distinguished by its heavy bill and pale legs.

What it sounds like

A series of buzzy, wheezing notes often transcribed as a rising 'shree-shree' or 'tic-zweet-zweet-zweet'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:03

Rec. Simon Elliott · St LuciaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the sole representative of its genus, Melanospiza, making it a taxonomically unique Caribbean lineage.
Known locally as 'Moisson Pied-blanc' due to its conspicuous pale pinkish-white legs and feet.
Unlike many arboreal finches, it spends most of its time on the forest floor flipping leaf litter to find food.
Evolutionary studies suggest it is a relict species closely related to the ancestors of Darwin's finches in the Galápagos.
It constructs a distinctive globular nest with a side entrance, usually hidden within low ferns or shrubs.

Habitat

Moist montane forest understory, deciduous forest, and dense secondary scrub.

Range

Endemic to the island of Saint Lucia in the Lesser Antilles.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-faced GrassquitMelanospiza bicolor

Heard a St. Lucia Black Finch?

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