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-necked Stilt

Himantopus mexicanus

An elegant, slender shorebird easily identified by its striking black-and-white plumage and disproportionately long, vibrant pink legs. It is a graceful wader often found picking aquatic invertebrates from the surface of shallow wetlands.

What it sounds like

A loud, persistent, and sharp yapping sound described as a metallic 'kek-kek-kek' or 'yip-yip-yip'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Tristan Guillebot de Nerville · French GuianaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It has the second-longest legs in proportion to its body size of any bird, surpassed only by the flamingo.
During the breeding season, they perform a 'popcorn display' where multiple adults hop up and down to distract predators from their nests.
The species is highly adaptable to changing water levels, building up their nests with vegetation if flooding occurs to keep eggs dry.
Black-necked Stilt chicks are precocial and can leave the nest, swim, and forage for their own food within 24 hours of hatching.
They are aggressively territorial and will frequently 'dive-bomb' intruders or larger animals that wander too close to their nesting colonies.

Habitat

Shallow freshwater and saltwater marshes, mudflats, salt evaporation ponds, and flooded agricultural fields.

Range

Widespread across the Americas, including the western and southern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and parts of South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black StiltHimantopus novaezelandiae Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus Pied StiltHimantopus leucocephalus

Heard a Black-necked Stilt?

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