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-eyed Junco

Junco phaeonotus

A distinctive high-altitude sparrow of the American Southwest and Mexico, the Yellow-eyed Junco is famous for its piercing golden irises and its preference for walking over hopping.

What it sounds like

A complex, musical series of varied phrases including clear whistles and trills; calls include a sharp 'pink' or 'smack' sound.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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

Field notes

It is one of the few North American passerines with bright yellow eyes, a trait that develops as the bird matures from a brown-eyed juvenile.
Unlike the closely related Dark-eyed Junco which hops, the Yellow-eyed Junco typically walks or runs along the ground while foraging.
The species possesses a bicolored bill, featuring a dark blackish upper mandible and a pale yellowish or pinkish lower mandible.
It is largely non-migratory, remaining in its high-elevation mountain 'sky island' habitats even during the winter months.
Its song is significantly more complex than other juncos, consisting of multiple distinct parts including whistles, trills, and buzzes.

Habitat

High-elevation coniferous forests and pine-oak woodlands, typically above 6,000 feet.

Range

Mountains of southern Arizona and New Mexico southward through the highlands of Mexico and Guatemala.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Baird's JuncoJunco bairdi Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis Guadalupe JuncoJunco insularis Volcano JuncoJunco vulcani Volcano JuncoJunco vulcani

Heard a Yellow-eyed Junco?

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