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

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus americanus

A slender, secretive woodland bird distinguished by its long tail with bold white spots and its namesake yellow lower mandible.

What it sounds like

A series of hollow, wooden 'ka-ka-ka-ka-kow-kow-kowlp-kowlp' notes that gradually slow down and descend in pitch.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. David Tattersley · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Known as the 'Rain Crow' due to the folk belief that it calls most frequently in response to falling barometric pressure before storms.
Specializes in consuming hairy caterpillars, such as tent caterpillars, and can even shed its stomach lining to remove trapped bristles.
Exhibits a remarkably rapid nesting cycle; eggs can hatch in just 9 to 11 days, and young fledge about a week later.
While primarily raising their own chicks, they are facultative brood parasites, occasionally laying eggs in the nests of other birds.
Features zygodactyl feet, with two toes facing forward and two backward, providing a firm grip while foraging in dense foliage.

Habitat

Deciduous forests, abandoned orchards, and riparian thickets with dense undergrowth.

Range

Breeds throughout eastern North America and parts of the West; winters primarily in South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bay-breasted CuckooCoccyzus rufigularis Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmus Chestnut-bellied CuckooCoccyzus pluvialis Cocos CuckooCoccyzus ferrugineus Dark-billed CuckooCoccyzus melacoryphus Gray-capped CuckooCoccyzus lansbergi Great Lizard-CuckooCoccyzus merlini Hispaniolan Lizard-CuckooCoccyzus longirostris

Heard a Yellow-billed Cuckoo?

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