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

Adelie Penguin

Pygoscelis adeliae

A medium-sized penguin easily identified by its classic black-and-white 'tuxedo' plumage and prominent white eye-rings. It is one of the most southerly distributed seabirds, breeding exclusively along the Antarctic coastline.

What it sounds like

Loud, harsh, rhythmic braying sounds and guttural squawks used for mate recognition and territorial defense.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. 王自堃 · AntarcticaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Named after Adèle Dumont d'Urville, the wife of the French explorer who first described the species in 1840.
They are notorious for stealing pebbles from neighboring nests to build up their own rocky breeding mounds.
Individuals use the sun as a compass, combined with a biological clock, to navigate between foraging grounds and colonies.
While primarily krill-eaters, they are capable of diving to depths of 175 meters in search of fish and squid.
Adélie colonies are so large and concentrated that their pinkish guano stains can be seen from space via satellite imagery.

Habitat

Ice-free rocky coasts for nesting and pack ice or open ocean for winter foraging.

Range

Circum-Antarctic distribution, breeding exclusively on the Antarctic continent and nearby islands.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Chinstrap PenguinPygoscelis antarcticus Gentoo PenguinPygoscelis papua

Heard a Adelie Penguin?

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