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

Willow Flycatcher

Empidonax traillii

A small, inconspicuous tyrant flycatcher that is part of the 'Empidonax' complex, best distinguished from its near-identical relatives by its sneezing song.

What it sounds like

A dry, buzzy, sneezing 'fitz-bew' song with the accent on the first syllable.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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

Field notes

Visually indistinguishable from the Alder Flycatcher in the field, together formerly known as the Traill's Flycatcher.
The Southwestern subspecies (E. t. extimus) is federally listed as endangered due to critical loss of riparian breeding habitat.
Commonly targeted by Brown-headed Cowbirds for brood parasitism, which significantly impacts its reproductive success.
Forages primarily by 'sallying,' flying out from a perch to catch insects in mid-air before returning to a branch.
Unlike many other flycatchers, it lacks a conspicuous eye-ring, usually appearing with a very faint or absent one.

Habitat

Riparian thickets, willow clumps, brushy pastures, and shrubby wetlands.

Range

Breeds across the United States and southern Canada; migrates to wintering grounds in Central America and northwestern South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescens Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum Black-capped FlycatcherEmpidonax atriceps Buff-breasted FlycatcherEmpidonax fulvifrons Dusky FlycatcherEmpidonax oberholseri Gray FlycatcherEmpidonax wrightii Hammond's FlycatcherEmpidonax hammondii Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimus

Heard a Willow Flycatcher?

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Identify a bird by its song