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 Bittern

Botaurus lentiginosus

A stocky, medium-sized heron known for its cryptic brown plumage and secretive nature within wetland environments. It is more often detected by its resonant, booming call than by sight.

What it sounds like

A deep, gulping 'pump-er-lunk' or 'oonk-a-lunk' that resembles the sound of a manual water pump or a stake being driven into mud.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Peter Ward and Ken Hall · CanadaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

When threatened, it assumes a 'sky-pointing' posture, stretching its neck upward and swaying to mimic wind-blown reeds.
The male's booming call is amplified by an esophagus that can be inflated with air to act as a resonance chamber.
Its eyes are set low on the head, allowing it to see forward while its bill is pointed vertically toward the sky.
Unlike many heron species, American Bitterns are solitary and do not nest in large communal colonies.
It possesses specialized 'powder down' feathers which it crushes with its beak to help clean fish slime from its plumage.

Habitat

Densely vegetated freshwater and brackish marshes, bogs, and wet meadows.

Range

Breeds across Canada and the northern United States; winters in the southern US, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Australasian BitternBotaurus poiciloptilus Black BitternBotaurus flavicollis Black-backed BitternBotaurus dubius Cinnamon BitternBotaurus cinnamomeus Dwarf BitternBotaurus sturmii Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris Great BitternBotaurus stellaris Least BitternBotaurus exilis

Heard a American Bittern?

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