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 Teal

Spatula discors

A small, highly migratory dabbling duck characterized by its striking sky-blue wing patches and rapid flight. It is one of the first waterfowl species to migrate south in autumn and among the last to return north in spring.

What it sounds like

Males produce a high-pitched, thin whistling 'peep'; females give a soft, rapid, high-pitched quack.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 2:15

Rec. Valerie Heemstra · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Breeding males are easily identified by a bold white crescent on the face between the eye and the bill.
They are long-distance neotropical migrants, with some individuals traveling over 4,000 miles to wintering grounds in South America.
The blue wing-coverts that give the species its name are visible in flight but often concealed by flank feathers when swimming.
This species is highly social and typically congregates in large, dense flocks during migration and on wintering grounds.
They are shallow-water specialists, primarily feeding on aquatic invertebrates and seeds by dabbling at the surface or tipping up.

Habitat

Shallow freshwater ponds, marshes, prairie potholes, and seasonal wetlands with abundant floating vegetation.

Range

Breeds across North America from Alaska to the Atlantic; winters from the southern United States through the Caribbean to central South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Australasian ShovelerSpatula rhynchotis Blue-billed TealSpatula hottentota Cape ShovelerSpatula smithii Cinnamon TealSpatula cyanoptera GarganeySpatula querquedula Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata Puna TealSpatula puna Red ShovelerSpatula platalea

Heard a Blue-winged Teal?

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