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-crowned Bishop

Euplectes afer

A small, stocky weaver bird of African wetlands, famous for the breeding male's brilliant yellow and black plumage and puffball-like aerial displays.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, metallic 'tsip' or 'chit' followed by a fast, buzzing, insect-like trill.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Étienne Leroy · NigerCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Breeding males puff out their yellow feathers and perform slow, hovering flights to attract mates.
They are highly polygynous, with a single male defending a territory that may contain multiple female nests.
During the non-breeding season, males undergo a dramatic molt into a cryptic, sparrow-like brown plumage.
The species is primarily granivorous, specializing in the seeds of grasses and aquatic sedges.
Their nests are hollow, oval structures made of woven grass with a side entrance, often built over water.

Habitat

Seasonally flooded grasslands, marshes, dambos, and edges of agricultural fields.

Range

Widespread across Sub-Saharan Africa, with localized introduced populations in Europe and the Americas.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black BishopEuplectes gierowii Black-winged BishopEuplectes hordeaceus Buff-shouldered WidowbirdEuplectes psammacromius Fan-tailed WidowbirdEuplectes axillaris Fire-fronted BishopEuplectes diadematus Golden-backed BishopEuplectes aureus Jackson's WidowbirdEuplectes jacksoni Jackson's WidowbirdEuplectes jacksoni

Heard a Yellow-crowned Bishop?

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