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

Black-bellied Tern

Sterna acuticauda

An elegant, medium-sized river tern known for its striking black underparts during the breeding season and its deeply forked tail. It is a highly specialized freshwater species currently facing a severe population decline due to habitat degradation.

What it sounds like

A sharp, high-pitched, and shrill 'peuo' or a repetitive, piping series of notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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

Field notes

The distinctive black belly is only present during the breeding season; in winter, the underparts turn white with some grey smudging.
It is primarily restricted to large, slow-flowing rivers and is rarely found in coastal or marine environments.
The species is classified as Endangered, largely due to the loss of nesting sandbars caused by dam construction and sand mining.
Unlike many other terns, it often feeds by dipping to the surface to snatch insects and small fish rather than performing deep plunge-dives.
Breeding occurs in small, loose colonies where eggs are laid directly in shallow scrapes on open, sandy islands.

Habitat

Large inland rivers, sandbars, and occasionally nearby marshes or tanks.

Range

South and Southeast Asia, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Myanmar.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Antarctic TernSterna vittata Arctic TernSterna paradisaea Black-naped TernSterna sumatrana Common TernSterna hirundo Forster's TernSterna forsteri Kerguelen TernSterna virgata River TernSterna aurantia Roseate TernSterna dougallii

Heard a Black-bellied Tern?

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