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

Australasian Swamphen

Porphyrio melanotus

A large, conspicuous rail recognized by its deep indigo-blue plumage, massive red bill and frontal shield, and bright white undertail feathers.

What it sounds like

A series of loud, raucous shrieks, nasal honks, and harsh, rhythmic grunting noises.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:08

Rec. Tom Cooney · AustraliaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Known for its remarkable dexterity, it often uses its long, unwebbed toes to grasp food and bring it to its beak like a parrot.
The species frequently engages in communal breeding, where multiple females lay their eggs in a single shared nest.
It displays a characteristic rhythmic tail-flicking behavior to signal alertness to potential predators and conspecifics.
While primarily herbivorous, it is an opportunistic omnivore known to predate on frogs, snails, and the eggs or chicks of other waterbirds.
In New Zealand, it is famously known as the Pūkeko and has successfully colonized various human-modified landscapes such as roadside ditches.

Habitat

Freshwater wetlands, reed beds, swamps, marshes, and urban parklands with permanent water sources.

Range

Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, eastern Indonesia, and various islands in the southwest Pacific.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African SwamphenPorphyrio madagascariensis Allen's GallinulePorphyrio alleni Azure GallinulePorphyrio flavirostris Black-backed SwamphenPorphyrio indicus Gray-headed SwamphenPorphyrio poliocephalus Lord Howe SwamphenPorphyrio albus Marquesan SwamphenPorphyrio paepae New Caledonian GallinulePorphyrio kukwiedei

Heard a Australasian Swamphen?

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