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-throated Swift

Aeronautes saxatalis

The White-throated Swift is a medium-sized, exceptionally fast aerialist distinguished by its striking black-and-white plumage and aerodynamic, sickle-shaped wings.

What it sounds like

A rapid, descending series of shrill, laughing, or chattering twittering notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Tero Linjama · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Mating pairs often engage in spectacular aerial copulation, clinging together and tumbling hundreds of feet through the air.
They use sticky saliva as a mortar to cement nests of feathers and grasses onto vertical cliff faces and deep rock crevices.
During periods of extreme cold or food scarcity, these swifts are capable of entering torpor to significantly reduce their metabolic rate.
With a highly streamlined body, they are among the fastest birds in North America, reaching high velocities in level flight.
Their legs are so short and specialized for clinging to vertical surfaces that they are physically unable to perch on branches or walk on the ground.

Habitat

Deep canyons, high mountain cliffs, and rocky escarpments, often in arid regions.

Range

Western North America, from southern British Columbia through the western United States and Mexico to Honduras.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Andean SwiftAeronautes andecolus White-tipped SwiftAeronautes montivagus

Heard a White-throated Swift?

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