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-winged Petrel

Pterodroma nigripennis

A small, agile gadfly petrel characterized by its pale grey upperparts and a distinctive black diagonal bar on its white underwings. It is celebrated for its high-speed, acrobatic flight maneuvers over the open ocean.

What it sounds like

A series of high-pitched, repetitive whistles often rendered as 'peep-peep-peep' or a rapid 'ti-ti-ti'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:23

Rec. David Boyle · New ZealandCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Displays a prominent black 'M' pattern across its upperwings in flight, typical of many Pterodroma species.
Engages in spectacular aerial displays over breeding colonies, involving high-speed chases and steep banking.
Unlike many seabirds, its population has expanded significantly over the last century, colonizing several new island groups.
Nests in burrows or rock crevices, often under dense vegetation to protect against avian predators.
Forages primarily by 'surface-seizing,' targeting squid, prawns, and small fish that migrate to the surface at night.

Habitat

Highly pelagic outside of the breeding season; nests on subtropical offshore islands and coral cays.

Range

Widespread across the Southwest and Central Pacific Ocean, including Lord Howe, Norfolk, and the Kermadec Islands.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Atlantic PetrelPterodroma incerta Barau's PetrelPterodroma baraui Bermuda PetrelPterodroma cahow Black-capped PetrelPterodroma hasitata Bonin PetrelPterodroma hypoleuca Cape Verde PetrelPterodroma feae Chatham Islands PetrelPterodroma axillaris Collared PetrelPterodroma brevipes

Heard a Black-winged Petrel?

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