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

Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arctica

The Atlantic Puffin is a small, charismatic seabird in the auk family, renowned for its vibrant, triangular beak and penguin-like black-and-white plumage. It is a pelagic species that only returns to land during the spring and summer to breed in large colonies.

What it sounds like

A low, guttural, vibrating groan often described as a muffled 'arrrr-koo' or the sound of a distant chainsaw.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Irish Wildlife Sounds · IrelandCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Their iconic colorful beak plates are shed after the breeding season, leaving the birds with smaller, duller bills during the winter months.
Atlantic Puffins are exceptionally fast fliers, capable of reaching speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph) by flapping their wings 400 times per minute.
Using specialized rasps on their tongues and serrated mandibles, they can hold dozens of small fish crosswise in their beak simultaneously.
They are excellent divers, reaching depths of up to 60 meters (200 feet) while hunting for sand eels, herring, and capelin.
Unlike many birds that build nests of sticks, puffins typically nest in underground burrows dug into the soil or tucked between rocks.

Habitat

Coastal cliffs, grassy slopes, and offshore islands for nesting; open subarctic and temperate oceanic waters during winter.

Range

The North Atlantic Ocean, spanning from the northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada to Iceland, Greenland, Scandinavia, and the British Isles.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Horned PuffinFratercula corniculata Tufted PuffinFratercula cirrhata

Heard a Atlantic Puffin?

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