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

Swainson's Hawk

Buteo swainsoni

A slim, long-winged Buteo of the American West, famous for its transcontinental migration and unique dietary preference for insects.

What it sounds like

A thin, high-pitched, and plaintive whistled 'kree-eee' that is less raspy than the call of a Red-tailed Hawk.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 7:17

Rec. Richard E. Webster · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Undergoes one of the longest migrations of any North American raptor, traveling up to 12,000 miles round-trip to wintering grounds in Argentina.
Known as the 'Grasshopper Hawk' because it spends much of the non-breeding season foraging for large insects on the ground.
Displays distinct plumage polymorphism, with light-morph individuals featuring a characteristic dark reddish-brown 'bib' on the upper breast.
Highly gregarious during migration, forming massive flocks called 'kettles' that can consist of thousands of individuals.
Frequently follows agricultural machinery, such as tractors and plows, to opportunistically hunt rodents and insects flushed by the equipment.

Habitat

Open country including prairies, shrub-steppe, and agricultural fields with scattered trees for nesting.

Range

Breeds across western North America; winters primarily in the Pampas region of southern South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Augur BuzzardButeo augur Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus Common BuzzardButeo buteo Eastern BuzzardButeo japonicus Ferruginous HawkButeo regalis Forest BuzzardButeo trizonatus Galapagos HawkButeo galapagoensis Gray HawkButeo plagiatus

Heard a Swainson's Hawk?

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Identify a bird by its song