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

Streak-throated Swallow

Petrochelidon fluvicola

A small, gregarious hirundine of the Indian subcontinent known for its colonial nesting habits and distinctive rufous crown.

What it sounds like

A soft, continuous twittering or a rhythmic, trilling 'chi-chi-chi' often heard from foraging flocks.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:04

Rec. Sandip das · IndiaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Constructs retort-shaped mud nests with short entrance tunnels, often densely packed under bridges or on cliff faces.
Distinguished from other regional swallows by its pale, finely streaked throat and breast and a square-ended tail.
Forms massive communal roosts, sometimes numbering in the thousands, particularly within reedbeds or on telegraph wires.
Primarily an insectivore that forages in low-level flight over water bodies to capture dipterans and other flying insects.
While mostly resident, it displays nomadic local movements heavily influenced by seasonal water availability and monsoon patterns.

Habitat

Open country near permanent water bodies, such as rivers, canals, marshes, and agricultural reservoirs.

Range

Widespread across the Indian subcontinent, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Cave SwallowPetrochelidon fulva Chestnut-collared SwallowPetrochelidon rufocollaris Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota Fairy MartinPetrochelidon ariel Preuss's SwallowPetrochelidon preussi Red Sea SwallowPetrochelidon perdita Red-throated SwallowPetrochelidon rufigula South African SwallowPetrochelidon spilodera

Heard a Streak-throated Swallow?

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