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

Auckland Islands Merganser

Mergus australis

The Auckland Islands Merganser was a specialized, extinct sea duck once native to New Zealand's subantarctic waters. It was uniquely adapted for diving in both marine and freshwater environments before being driven to extinction by introduced predators and hunting.

What it sounds like

Described historically as a low, raspy croak or a series of short whistles.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It was the only species of the Mergus genus to have occurred in the Southern Hemisphere.
The species went extinct in 1902 after the last known pair was shot for a museum collection.
Subfossil remains indicate it was once widespread across mainland New Zealand and the Chatham Islands prior to human arrival.
It featured a long, narrow bill with backward-pointing serrations specifically evolved for grasping slippery fish and crustaceans.
While not completely flightless, it was a reluctant flier that primarily used diving as its main defense mechanism.

Habitat

Sheltered coastal inlets, estuaries, and deep inland freshwater streams.

Range

Auckland Islands, New Zealand (Extinct)

Similar & commonly confused birds

Brazilian MerganserMergus octosetaceus Common MerganserMergus merganser Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator Scaly-sided MerganserMergus squamatus

Heard a Auckland Islands Merganser?

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