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

White-fronted Swift

Cypseloides storeri

A rare and localized Mexican endemic, the White-fronted Swift is a medium-sized aerial insectivore noted for its association with waterfalls and its subtle white forehead markings.

What it sounds like

High-pitched, scratchy chattering and a series of sharp, dry clicking notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:41

Rec. Nathan Pieplow · MexicoCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It was first formally described by science as recently as 1992, having previously been confused with the American Black Swift.
Nests are typically constructed on damp rock faces or directly behind the spray of mountain waterfalls.
Unlike many other swift species, it possesses a distinctly square-ended tail rather than a forked or notched one.
It belongs to the subfamily Cypseloidinae, which lacks the stiffened, needle-like tail shafts found in the Chaetura swifts.
Due to its high-altitude foraging habits and extremely restricted range, it remains one of the least studied birds in Mexico.

Habitat

Humid montane forests and deep mountain canyons featuring vertical cliffs and permanent waterfalls.

Range

Endemic to the Pacific slopes of the Sierra Madre del Sur in southwestern Mexico (Jalisco, Michoacán, and Guerrero).

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black SwiftCypseloides niger Great Dusky SwiftCypseloides senex Rothschild's SwiftCypseloides rothschildi Rothschild's SwiftCypseloides rothschildi Spot-fronted SwiftCypseloides cherriei White-chested SwiftCypseloides lemosi White-chinned SwiftCypseloides cryptus White-fronted SwiftCypseloides storeri

Heard a White-fronted Swift?

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