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

Worthen's Sparrow

Spizella wortheni

A rare and endangered New World sparrow endemic to the high-elevation shrub-grasslands of Northeast Mexico.

What it sounds like

A dry, mechanical, rapid trill similar to the Chipping Sparrow but delivered at a slightly slower tempo.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:12

Rec. Andrew Spencer · MexicoCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Originally described from a specimen collected in New Mexico in 1884, it has not been reliably recorded in the United States since.
Distinguished from the similar Chipping Sparrow by its lack of a dark trans-ocular line and the presence of a conspicuous white eye-ring.
The species is currently listed as Endangered due to severe habitat loss from agricultural expansion and overgrazing.
Breeding is poorly documented but typically occurs in low shrubs such as Yucca, Berberis, or Junipers within open grasslands.
It often associates with Brewer's and Chipping Sparrows in mixed-species foraging flocks during the winter months.

Habitat

Arid open shrublands, desert scrub, and grasslands with scattered bushes.

Range

Endemic to the Mexican Plateau, specifically in parts of Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, and Zacatecas.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-chinned SparrowSpizella atrogularis Brewer's SparrowSpizella breweri Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina Clay-colored SparrowSpizella pallida Field SparrowSpizella pusilla

Heard a Worthen's Sparrow?

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