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

Blue-winged Goose

Cyanochen cyanoptera

A large, terrestrial waterfowl endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands, known for its distinctive pale blue wing coverts visible primarily in flight.

What it sounds like

A soft, thin, and high-pitched whistling or piping 'whe-whe-whe', noticeably quiet for a bird of its size.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:38

Rec. Rolf A. de By · EthiopiaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the sole member of the genus Cyanochen and is phylogenetically closer to shelducks than true geese.
The species is largely nocturnal, spending the daylight hours resting and emerging at night to graze on grasses and sedges.
It has a specialized resting posture where it tucks its head into its back feathers, a behavior more pronounced than in other waterfowl.
Despite its goose-like appearance, its bill is relatively short and more adapted for picking at vegetation than heavy grazing.
It is restricted to high-altitude plateaus, rarely descending below 2,100 meters and found as high as 4,500 meters.

Habitat

Afroalpine grasslands, marshes, and the margins of high-altitude lakes and streams.

Range

Endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands.

Heard a Blue-winged Goose?

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