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-breasted Chat

Icteria virens

The Yellow-breasted Chat is the largest and most atypical wood-warbler, characterized by its secretive behavior and complex, mimicry-filled vocalizations.

What it sounds like

An eccentric, disjointed medley of whistles, rattles, cat-like meows, and chuckles.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:14

Rec. Chris Harrison · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Though long classified as a wood-warbler, it is now placed in its own monotypic family, Icteriidae.
Males perform a unique 'song flight' display where they hover with their legs dangling while emitting a chaotic series of sounds.
Unlike most songbirds, this species has been observed using its feet to hold food items while eating.
It is a notorious 'skulker,' preferring to remain hidden within the densest available brambles and briar thickets.
Its diet is notably more reliant on small fruits and berries than many other north-temperate warbler species.

Habitat

Dense thickets, briar patches, overgrown pastures, and riparian shrublands.

Range

Breeds throughout the United States and southern Canada; winters in Mexico and Central America.

Heard a Yellow-breasted Chat?

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