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

Varied Bunting

Passerina versicolor

A small, secretive songbird of the Cardinalidae family, the male Varied Bunting features complex, iridescent plumage that appears dark until illuminated by direct sunlight.

What it sounds like

A rapid, thin, and varied warble of sweet, high-pitched notes; the common call is a sharp, metallic 'pik'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Leonardo Guzman Hernandez · MexicoCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

The male's coloration is structural, refracting light to produce shifting shades of plum, cherry-red, and violet-blue.
Unlike many songbirds, they often time their breeding to coincide with the late-summer monsoon rains in the desert Southwest.
The species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism, with females being entirely buff-brown to provide camouflage while nesting.
They possess a more curved culmen (upper beak profile) compared to the closely related Painted Bunting.
Their winter diet heavily features seeds and cactus fruits, such as those from the prickly pear, which can stain their bills.

Habitat

Arid thorn scrub, desert washes, and dense riparian thickets.

Range

Southwestern United States (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas) south through Mexico to Guatemala.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Blue GrosbeakPasserina caerulea Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea Lazuli BuntingPasserina amoena Orange-breasted BuntingPasserina leclancherii Painted BuntingPasserina ciris Rose-bellied BuntingPasserina rositae

Heard a Varied Bunting?

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