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 Storm-Petrel

Hydrobates melania

The Black Storm-Petrel is a large, dark-plumaged seabird distinguished by its long, pointed wings and buoyant, tern-like flight pattern.

What it sounds like

Usually silent at sea; at nesting sites, it produces a rhythmic, raspy, and multi-syllabic 'puck-a-puck-puck-hoo'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the largest of the 'all-black' storm-petrels, reaching a wingspan of up to 50 centimeters.
Unlike many smaller storm-petrels that flutter, this species uses slow, deep, and steady wingbeats.
Breeding is highly concentrated on islands in the Gulf of California and off the coast of Baja California.
They are strictly nocturnal at their nesting colonies to avoid predation by western gulls and peregrine falcons.
The species frequently associates with schools of predatory fish like tuna to feed on driven-up larval fish and crustaceans.

Habitat

Pelagic waters and rocky offshore islands.

Range

Eastern Pacific Ocean, from central California south to Peru and northern Chile.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Ainley's Storm-PetrelHydrobates cheimomnestes Ashy Storm-PetrelHydrobates homochroa Band-rumped Storm-PetrelHydrobates castro Cape Verde Storm-PetrelHydrobates jabejabe European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus Fork-tailed Storm-PetrelHydrobates furcatus Guadalupe Storm-PetrelHydrobates macrodactylus Leach's Storm-PetrelHydrobates leucorhous

Heard a Black Storm-Petrel?

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