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

Andean Gull

Chroicocephalus serranus

The Andean Gull is a large, high-altitude gull distinctive for its dark breeding hood and preference for mountain lakes. It is the most common gull found in the interior of the Andes mountains.

What it sounds like

Loud, nasal, and harsh laughing calls, typically rendered as a repeated 'kwa-ha-ha' or 'keer'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / --:--

Rec. Barry Edmonston · ChileCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the largest member of its genus, Chroicocephalus, reaching up to 48 centimeters in length.
Unlike most gulls, it primarily breeds at extreme elevations, typically between 3,000 and 4,500 meters above sea level.
It displays a dark coffee-brown to black hood during the breeding season, which fades to a simple dark spot behind the eye in winter.
While it nests in the mountains, some populations migrate to the Pacific coast of South America during the non-breeding season.
They are highly opportunistic feeders, often seen following agricultural plows to eat exposed invertebrates or scavenging near human settlements.

Habitat

High-altitude freshwater lakes, rivers, marshes, and puna grasslands.

Range

The Andes mountains ranging from southern Colombia to south-central Chile and Argentina.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-billed GullChroicocephalus bulleri Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia Brown-headed GullChroicocephalus brunnicephalus Brown-hooded GullChroicocephalus maculipennis Gray-hooded GullChroicocephalus cirrocephalus Hartlaub's GullChroicocephalus hartlaubii Silver GullChroicocephalus novaehollandiae

Heard a Andean Gull?

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