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

Bannerman's Shearwater

Puffinus bannermani

A small, endangered pelagic seabird endemic to the Ogasawara Islands of Japan, characterized by its sharp black-and-white plumage and rapid wingbeats.

What it sounds like

A series of high-pitched, rhythmic wheezing and cackling sounds, typically emitted in flight or from burrows after dark.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It was historically treated as a subspecies of the Audubon's Shearwater but is now recognized as a distinct species endemic to Japan.
The species is highly nocturnal at its breeding colonies to avoid predation by gulls and other raptors.
It nests in burrows or rocky crevices on remote volcanic islands, making population surveys extremely difficult.
The population is estimated to be very small, likely numbering fewer than 1,000 mature individuals.
Invasive species, particularly black rats and feral cats, represent the primary threat to their highly localized breeding sites.

Habitat

Pelagic open ocean for foraging; nests on steep, rocky offshore islands and volcanic slopes.

Range

Northwestern Pacific Ocean, restricted to the Ogasawara (Bonin) and Volcano (Iwo) Islands.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Balearic ShearwaterPuffinus mauretanicus Barolo ShearwaterPuffinus baroli Black-vented ShearwaterPuffinus opisthomelas Boyd's ShearwaterPuffinus boydi Bryan's ShearwaterPuffinus bryani Christmas ShearwaterPuffinus nativitatis Fluttering ShearwaterPuffinus gavia Galapagos ShearwaterPuffinus subalaris

Heard a Bannerman's Shearwater?

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