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

American Avocet

Recurvirostra americana

A large, elegant shorebird distinguished by its long, upturned bill and striking cinnamon-colored head and neck during the breeding season.

What it sounds like

A loud, sharp, and repetitive 'wheep' or 'pleeit' sound.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Ed Pandolfino · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Their unique recurved bills are used to forage through a method called 'scything,' swinging the bill side-to-side through shallow water to stir up invertebrates.
While they typically nest in colonies, they are known to engage in brood parasitism, occasionally laying eggs in the nests of other birds like Black-necked Stilts.
The cinnamon plumage on the head and neck is a seasonal trait; during the winter, these areas fade to a soft, pale gray.
American Avocet chicks are highly precocial, capable of walking, swimming, and even diving to escape predators within 24 hours of hatching.
To protect their nesting sites, adults perform elaborate distraction displays or aggressively dive-bomb intruders while emitting loud alarm calls.

Habitat

Shallow freshwater and saltwater wetlands, alkaline lakes, and coastal mudflats.

Range

Breeds in the western and central United States and southern Canada; winters along the Pacific and Gulf coasts into Mexico.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Andean AvocetRecurvirostra andina Pied AvocetRecurvirostra avosetta Red-necked AvocetRecurvirostra novaehollandiae

Heard a American Avocet?

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Identify a bird by its song