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 Oystercatcher

Haematopus bachmani

A large, soot-black shorebird distinguished by its long, bright red bill and piercing yellow eyes, specialized for life on rocky Pacific coasts.

What it sounds like

A series of loud, piercing, high-pitched whistles such as 'klee-up' or a rapid, staccato 'pip-pip-pip'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 1:10

Rec. Barry Edmonston · CanadaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Their laterally compressed bill acts as a specialized chisel for prying limpets and mussels from rocks.
Despite their common name, they rarely consume oysters, preferring a diet of mussels, limpets, and chitons.
They are considered a keystone indicator species for the ecological health of the rocky intertidal zone.
Chicks are semi-precocial and are taught specific foraging and shell-opening techniques by their parents for several months.
They are largely non-migratory shorebirds that often maintain the same coastal territories year-round.

Habitat

Rocky intertidal shorelines, wave-swept beaches, and coastal islands.

Range

Pacific coast of North America, ranging from the Aleutian Islands to Baja California.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African OystercatcherHaematopus moquini American OystercatcherHaematopus palliatus Blackish OystercatcherHaematopus ater Canarian OystercatcherHaematopus meadewaldoi Chatham Islands OystercatcherHaematopus chathamensis Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus Magellanic OystercatcherHaematopus leucopodus Pied OystercatcherHaematopus longirostris

Heard a Black Oystercatcher?

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Identify a bird by its song