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

Azure Gallinule

Porphyrio flavirostris

A small, elegant rail of South American wetlands, distinguished by its pale azure-blue underparts and lack of a red frontal shield. It is more secretive and slightly smaller than its relative, the Purple Gallinule.

What it sounds like

A series of sharp, rhythmic 'kek' or 'tak' notes, often sounding like dry clicking.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:38

Rec. JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · BrazilCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Possesses exceptionally long, slender toes that distribute its weight for walking across floating lily pads.
Exhibits semi-arboreal foraging behavior, frequently climbing into tall reeds and low shrubs to find food.
The bill and frontal shield are a uniform pale greenish-yellow, which serves as a key field mark for identification.
Undergoes seasonal movements or local migrations driven by fluctuating water levels in its marshy habitats.
Despite its bright colors, it is highly elusive and spends most of its time hidden within dense emergent vegetation.

Habitat

Freshwater marshes, swamps, and rice fields with abundant floating and emergent vegetation.

Range

Tropical and subtropical South America, primarily east of the Andes from Colombia to northern Argentina.

Similar & commonly confused birds

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

Heard a Azure Gallinule?

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