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

Bonaparte's Gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

A small, tern-like gull characterized by its striking black hood during the breeding season and its unique habit of nesting in trees.

What it sounds like

A raspy, nasal, and high-pitched 'teer' or 'churr' that is more reminiscent of a tern than a typical gull.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Andrew Harrop · United KingdomCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the only gull species that regularly builds its nest in trees, typically selecting conifers in the boreal forest.
The bird is named after Charles Lucien Bonaparte, a nephew of Napoleon and a pioneering ornithologist in America.
During the winter, the black hood is lost, leaving a distinctive dark 'ear spot' behind each eye.
Unlike most gulls, it rarely scavenges at landfills, preferring to hunt for insects in the air or small fish at the water's surface.
They are highly migratory, traveling from subarctic breeding grounds to as far south as Mexico and the Caribbean.

Habitat

Boreal forest lakes and marshes for breeding; coastal bays, estuaries, and large inland lakes during winter.

Range

Breeds across Alaska and Canada; winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Andean GullChroicocephalus serranus Black-billed GullChroicocephalus bulleri Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus Brown-headed GullChroicocephalus brunnicephalus Brown-hooded GullChroicocephalus maculipennis Gray-hooded GullChroicocephalus cirrocephalus Hartlaub's GullChroicocephalus hartlaubii Silver GullChroicocephalus novaehollandiae

Heard a Bonaparte's Gull?

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