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

Sudan Golden Sparrow

Passer luteus

A small, highly social Old World sparrow where males feature striking bright yellow plumage. It is known for forming massive, nomadic flocks across the African Sahel.

What it sounds like

A rapid, chirping 'che-che-che' and high-pitched metallic twitters, more melodic than the House Sparrow.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Sacha Balavoine · FranceCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males possess a vibrant canary-yellow head and body, while females have a cryptic, sandy-buff appearance.
This species is extremely gregarious, forming massive non-breeding flocks that can contain millions of individuals.
They are highly nomadic, moving long distances in response to seasonal rainfall and seed availability.
Nesting is colonial, with hundreds of spherical grass nests often packed into a single thorny acacia tree.
While primarily granivorous, they switch to an insect-heavy diet during the breeding season to provide protein for chicks.

Habitat

Arid and semi-arid savannas, dry thorn scrub, and agricultural fringes.

Range

The Sahel region of Africa, spanning from Mauritania and Senegal east to Sudan and Ethiopia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Abd al Kuri SparrowPasser hemileucus Arabian Golden SparrowPasser euchlorus Cape SparrowPasser melanurus Cape Verde SparrowPasser iagoensis Chestnut SparrowPasser eminibey Dead Sea SparrowPasser moabiticus Desert SparrowPasser simplex Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus

Heard a Sudan Golden Sparrow?

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