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

Antarctic Tern

Sterna vittata

A medium-sized, circumpolar seabird closely resembling the Arctic Tern but remaining in the Southern Hemisphere year-round.

What it sounds like

A harsh, high-pitched 'trree-err' and repetitive, sharp 'kik-kik-kik' alarm calls.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Fabrice Schmitt · AntarcticaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Unlike the Arctic Tern, this species does not migrate to the Northern Hemisphere, staying in southern oceans year-round.
Develops a distinctive blood-red bill and matching legs during the austral summer breeding season.
Primarily feeds by plunge-diving for Antarctic krill and small fish in turbulent coastal waters.
Nests in loose colonies on rocky outcrops, scree slopes, or glacier-free islands to avoid ground predators.
Maintains a striking black cap during breeding, which recedes to a white forehead during the non-breeding winter period.

Habitat

Rocky shorelines, coastal cliffs, and ice-free sub-Antarctic islands.

Range

Circumpolar Southern Ocean, including the Antarctic Peninsula and various sub-Antarctic island groups.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Arctic TernSterna paradisaea Black-bellied TernSterna acuticauda Black-naped TernSterna sumatrana Common TernSterna hirundo Forster's TernSterna forsteri Kerguelen TernSterna virgata River TernSterna aurantia Roseate TernSterna dougallii

Heard a Antarctic Tern?

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