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

Bare-shanked Screech-Owl

Megascops clarkii

The Bare-shanked Screech-Owl is a distinctive, medium-sized owl of Central American highlands characterized by its uniquely unfeathered lower legs. It is a reclusive inhabitant of montane cloud forests, distinguished by its rich rufous plumage and lack of prominent ear tufts.

What it sounds like

A series of short, gruff, low-pitched notes in a rhythmic sequence, typically sounding like 'wroof-wroof-wroof-wroof'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Hans Matheve · Costa RicaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the only species in the genus Megascops featuring significantly unfeathered lower tarsi, or 'shanks'.
Its facial disc is less defined than most other screech-owls, and its 'ear' tufts are so small they are often invisible in the field.
It is one of the larger members of its genus, typically measuring between 23 and 25 centimeters in length.
The species is strictly nocturnal and feeds on a combination of large insects and small montane vertebrates like shrews.
It is a highland specialist, rarely occurring at elevations below 900 meters and found as high as 3,300 meters.

Habitat

Humid montane cloud forests, oak forests, and dense forest edges.

Range

Restricted to the highlands of Costa Rica, Panama, and extreme northwestern Colombia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Balsas Screech-OwlMegascops seductus Bearded Screech-OwlMegascops barbarus Black-capped Screech-OwlMegascops atricapilla Choco Screech-OwlMegascops centralis Cinnamon Screech-OwlMegascops petersoni Cloud-forest Screech-OwlMegascops marshalli Eastern Screech-OwlMegascops asio Foothill Screech-OwlMegascops roraimae

Heard a Bare-shanked Screech-Owl?

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