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-billed Gull

Chroicocephalus bulleri

The Black-billed Gull, or Tarāpuka, is a slender, endemic New Zealand gull and currently holds the status of the world's most threatened gull species.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, shrill 'quie-er' or 'kek-kek-kek' that is generally less harsh and quieter than the call of the Red-billed Gull.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:19

Rec. Dan Lane · New ZealandCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the most endangered gull species globally, primarily due to predation by introduced mammals and habitat loss.
Unlike many other gull species, it rarely scavenges at rubbish tips, preferring to hunt for soil invertebrates and freshwater insects.
The species is highly colonial, with nests sometimes packed as densely as five per square meter on gravel riverbeds.
While it resembles the Red-billed Gull, its bill is noticeably longer, thinner, and pitch black rather than bright red.
Colonies are known for their 'synchronous nesting,' where the entire group lays eggs within a very short timeframe to overwhelm predators.

Habitat

Braided riverbeds during the breeding season; coastal estuaries and farmland during the winter.

Range

Endemic to New Zealand, with over 90% of the population breeding on the South Island.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Andean GullChroicocephalus serranus Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia Brown-headed GullChroicocephalus brunnicephalus Brown-hooded GullChroicocephalus maculipennis Gray-hooded GullChroicocephalus cirrocephalus Hartlaub's GullChroicocephalus hartlaubii Silver GullChroicocephalus novaehollandiae

Heard a Black-billed Gull?

Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.

Identify a bird by its song