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

Townsend's Warbler

Setophaga townsendi

A striking wood-warbler of the Pacific Northwest, distinguished by its bold yellow-and-black facial mask and affinity for high coniferous canopies.

What it sounds like

A high, buzzy series of wheezing notes, typically rising in pitch: 'zee-zee-zee-zee-bzz-zee'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Greg Irving · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Frequently hybridizes with the closely related Hermit Warbler where their ranges overlap in the Cascade and Olympic Mountains.
While many migrate to Central America, a significant population winters along the mild Pacific Coast of the United States.
On wintering grounds, they often supplement their insect diet with sugary 'honeydew' excreted by scale insects.
They are specialist foragers of the upper canopy, often hanging acrobatically to glean larvae from the underside of needle clusters.
The species was first collected in 1833 by naturalist John Kirk Townsend near the mouth of the Columbia River.

Habitat

Old-growth and mature coniferous forests, especially those dominated by Douglas-fir, hemlock, and Sitka spruce.

Range

Breeds from Alaska through western Canada to the Pacific Northwest; winters along the West Coast and through Mexico to Costa Rica.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Adelaide's WarblerSetophaga adelaidae American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla Arrowhead WarblerSetophaga pharetra Bahama WarblerSetophaga flavescens Barbuda WarblerSetophaga subita Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castanea Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescens Black-throated Gray WarblerSetophaga nigrescens

Heard a Townsend's Warbler?

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