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

Togo Paradise-Whydah

Vidua togoensis

The Togo Paradise-Whydah is a specialized brood-parasitic songbird noted for the male's dramatic elongated tail feathers and intricate mimicry of its host species. It belongs to the Viduidae family, known for complex interspecies social dynamics.

What it sounds like

A complex series of whistles and chattered notes, largely consisting of precise mimicry of the Dybowski's Twinspot's trills.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is an obligate brood parasite that specifically targets the nests of the Dybowski's Twinspot (Euschistospiza dybowskii).
Breeding males grow two central rectrices (tail feathers) that are exceptionally broad and can reach lengths of up to 30 centimeters.
Whydah chicks do not kill their host's nestlings; instead, they mimic the gape patterns of the host chicks to ensure they are fed equally.
The species displays extreme seasonal dimorphism, with males molting into a drab, sparrow-like plumage outside of the breeding season.
Male whydahs use the vocalizations of their host species as a significant component of their own courtship displays.

Habitat

Moist savannas, woodland clearings, and gallery forest edges.

Range

West Africa, ranging from Sierra Leone and Guinea to Togo and Benin.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Barka IndigobirdVidua larvaticola Broad-tailed Paradise-WhydahVidua obtusa Cameroon IndigobirdVidua camerunensis Dusky IndigobirdVidua funerea Eastern Paradise-WhydahVidua paradisaea Exclamatory Paradise-WhydahVidua interjecta Green IndigobirdVidua codringtoni Jambandu IndigobirdVidua raricola

Heard a Togo Paradise-Whydah?

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