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

Band-bellied Crake

Zapornia paykullii

The Band-bellied Crake is a medium-sized, secretive wetland bird known for its striking chestnut plumage and bold black-and-white abdominal barring.

What it sounds like

A rhythmic, accelerating series of sharp, metallic 'krek' or 'tok' notes that often culminates in a rapid, descending trill.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:16

Rec. Peter Boesman · ChinaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is named in honor of Gustaf von Paykull, a Swedish naturalist and founder of the Swedish Museum of Natural History.
The species possesses distinctive coral-red legs and a greenish-grey bill with a reddish base near the nostrils.
Unlike many sedentary rails, this species is strongly migratory, traveling thousands of miles between Northeast Asia and the Indonesian archipelago.
It is primarily crepuscular and nocturnal, making it exceptionally difficult to observe during daylight hours.
It is currently classified as Near Threatened due to the rapid loss and degradation of wetland habitats throughout its migratory corridor.

Habitat

Freshwater marshes, reed beds, wet meadows, and flooded rice paddies.

Range

Breeds in Northeast China, Far East Russia, and Korea; winters in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Baillon's CrakeZapornia pusilla Black CrakeZapornia flavirostra Black-tailed CrakeZapornia bicolor Brown CrakeZapornia akool Hawaiian RailZapornia sandwichensis Henderson Island CrakeZapornia atra Kosrae CrakeZapornia monasa Kosrae CrakeZapornia monasa

Heard a Band-bellied Crake?

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