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 Woodcock

Scolopax minor

A stout, cryptically colored shorebird of the forest floor, renowned for its elaborate crepuscular 'sky dance' courtship displays.

What it sounds like

A sharp, buzzy, nasal 'peent' delivered from the ground, followed by liquid twittering during flight.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:59

Rec. Bobby Wilcox · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Its eyes are positioned far back on its head, providing a 360-degree field of vision to detect predators while its beak is buried in the mud.
The tip of the upper mandible is flexible and prehensile, allowing the bird to grasp earthworms underground without opening its entire bill.
Specialized outer primary feathers produce a distinct whistling or twittering sound during the bird's dramatic aerial displays.
It performs a unique, rhythmic 'rocking walk' while foraging, possibly to trigger movement in soil-dwelling prey.
Though technically classified as a shorebird, it has evolved to live almost exclusively in upland forest and shrubland habitats.

Habitat

Young forests, alder thickets, and abandoned damp fields with moist, earthworm-rich soil.

Range

Eastern North America, ranging from Atlantic Canada south to the Gulf Coast.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Amami WoodcockScolopax mira Bukidnon WoodcockScolopax bukidnonensis Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola Javan WoodcockScolopax saturata Moluccan WoodcockScolopax rochussenii New Guinea WoodcockScolopax rosenbergii Sulawesi WoodcockScolopax celebensis Sulawesi WoodcockScolopax celebensis

Heard a American Woodcock?

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