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

Tricolored Blackbird

Agelaius tricolor

A highly social icterid endemic to the West Coast, renowned for forming the largest breeding colonies of any North American landbird.

What it sounds like

A harsh, nasal, and mechanical rasp, described as a congested 'kush-y-wher' that lacks the musicality of other blackbirds.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Ed Pandolfino · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Breeds in massive, synchronized colonies that can exceed 50,000 individuals in just a few acres.
Distinguished from the similar Red-winged Blackbird by its darker red epaulets and stark white, rather than yellow, wing bars.
Approximately 95% of the global population is concentrated within California's Central Valley.
Exhibits itinerant breeding, where individuals may move hundreds of miles between first and second nesting attempts in a single season.
Currently listed as a threatened species in California due to the loss of over 90% of its traditional wetland nesting habitat.

Habitat

Freshwater marshes with dense cattails or bulrushes, and increasingly, agricultural silage fields and grain crops.

Range

Primarily California, with small isolated populations in Oregon, Washington, western Nevada, and Baja California.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Red-shouldered BlackbirdAgelaius assimilis Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus Tawny-shouldered BlackbirdAgelaius humeralis Yellow-shouldered BlackbirdAgelaius xanthomus

Heard a Tricolored Blackbird?

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