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

Barrow's Goldeneye

Bucephala islandica

A medium-sized diving duck of the north, distinguished by the male's iridescent purplish-black head and prominent white crescent-shaped facial patch.

What it sounds like

Mostly silent, but males give a soft, grunting 'ka-ka' during displays; wings produce a rhythmic whistling sound in flight.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Bruce Lagerquist · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Named after Sir John Barrow, a 19th-century British Admiralty official and explorer.
Unlike the closely related Common Goldeneye, the Barrow's has a distinctively steep, bulbous forehead and a shorter bill.
They are obligate cavity nesters, often utilizing abandoned woodpecker holes or specialized nest boxes near water.
The species is highly territorial, with both males and females aggressively defending their foraging areas from other waterfowl.
A significant portion of the global population is concentrated in a small number of wintering sites along the rocky coastlines of the Pacific Northwest.

Habitat

Inland subalpine lakes and beaver ponds during breeding season; rocky coastal bays and estuaries in winter.

Range

Primarily northwestern North America, with isolated populations in Eastern Canada and Iceland.

Similar & commonly confused birds

BuffleheadBucephala albeola Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula

Heard a Barrow's Goldeneye?

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