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-throated Bunting

Emberiza elegans

A visually striking East Asian passerine characterized by its vibrant yellow throat, black facial mask, and distinctive erectile crest.

What it sounds like

A sharp, metallic 'tzit' call and a melodious song of hurried, high-pitched warbling whistles.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / --:--

Rec. Peter Boesman · ChinaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

The species' specific epithet, elegans, was chosen to reflect its sophisticated and ornate plumage patterns.
It is highly sexually dimorphic, with males displaying a bold black breast band and crown that females largely lack.
Unlike many other buntings, it frequently raises its crown feathers into a prominent, pointed crest during social interactions.
The population is migratory, with northern breeders moving to southern China, Japan, and Myanmar during the winter months.
Its foraging behavior involves 'double-scratching' leaf litter to uncover seeds and small invertebrates on the forest floor.

Habitat

Open deciduous and mixed forests, shrubby forest edges, and mountain thickets.

Range

East Asia, including eastern Russia, China, Korea, and Japan.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-faced BuntingEmberiza spodocephala Black-headed BuntingEmberiza melanocephala Brown-rumped BuntingEmberiza affinis Cabanis's BuntingEmberiza cabanisi Cape BuntingEmberiza capensis Chestnut BuntingEmberiza rutila Chestnut-eared BuntingEmberiza fucata Cinereous BuntingEmberiza cineracea

Heard a Yellow-throated Bunting?

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