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

Ancient Murrelet

Synthliboramphus antiquus

A small, ocean-dwelling auk named for its silvery-grey plumage and white head-streaks that resemble the hair of an elder. It is uniquely characterized by its precocial chicks that migrate to the open sea just two days after hatching.

What it sounds like

High-pitched, cricket-like chirps and sharp whistling notes used to coordinate with chicks at night.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 3:32

Rec. Andrew Spencer · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Chicks leave the nest burrow and travel to the ocean only 1–3 nights after hatching, never receiving a meal at the nest.
It is the only member of the auk family known to migrate across the entire North Pacific to wintering grounds in East Asia.
The 'Ancient' moniker refers to the white plumes on the head and the grey 'shawl' on its back, evocative of an old person.
Adults are strictly nocturnal at their breeding colonies to minimize predation risk from gulls and raptors.
They utilize a specialized salt gland above their eyes to excrete excess salt, allowing them to drink seawater exclusively.

Habitat

Open ocean (pelagic) during winter; breeds in burrows within coastal forests or on grassy island slopes.

Range

North Pacific Rim, from the Yellow Sea and Japan through the Aleutians to British Columbia and California.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Craveri's MurreletSynthliboramphus craveri Guadalupe MurreletSynthliboramphus hypoleucus Japanese MurreletSynthliboramphus wumizusume Scripps's MurreletSynthliboramphus scrippsi

Heard a Ancient Murrelet?

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