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

Tessmann's Flycatcher

Fraseria tessmanni

Tessmann's Flycatcher is an inconspicuous, drab passerine specialized for life in the high canopies of West and Central African tropical forests. It is a member of the forest flycatcher genus Fraseria, often overlooked due to its silent nature and dull plumage.

What it sounds like

A thin, high-pitched 'tseep' or 'tsip' contact call and a short, modest warbling song of whistled notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

The species is named after Günther Tessmann, a German naturalist and ethnologist who conducted extensive research in West Africa.
It is primarily a canopy dweller, often remaining 20 to 30 meters above the forest floor, which makes it one of the more difficult flycatchers to study.
Unlike many related species, it frequently participates in mixed-species foraging flocks, moving alongside bulbuls and other insectivores.
Its hunting technique often involves 'sally-gleaning,' where it flies to pick insects directly from foliage rather than catching them in mid-air.
Taxonomically, it was previously placed in the genus Muscicapa but is now grouped with the 'frill-headed' forest flycatchers in Fraseria.

Habitat

Primary tropical moist lowland forests and old-growth secondary forests.

Range

Fragmented distribution across West and Central Africa, from Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African Forest-FlycatcherFraseria ocreata Ashy FlycatcherFraseria caerulescens Chapin's FlycatcherFraseria lendu Gray Tit-FlycatcherFraseria plumbea Gray-throated Tit-FlycatcherFraseria griseigularis Olivaceous FlycatcherFraseria olivascens White-browed Forest-FlycatcherFraseria cinerascens

Heard a Tessmann's Flycatcher?

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Identify a bird by its song