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

Bonin Pigeon

Columba versicolor

The Bonin Pigeon was a large, iridescent forest pigeon endemic to the Ogasawara Islands of Japan, now extinct since the late 19th century. It is primarily known to science through only four preserved museum specimens.

What it sounds like

Historical accounts are sparse, but it likely produced deep, resonant cooing typical of large wood pigeons.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

The species reached a total length of approximately 45 centimeters, making it a notably large member of the Columba genus.
Its plumage was characterized by a brilliant metallic luster, exhibiting gold-green and purple iridescence on the mantle and neck.
The bird's extinction is attributed to a combination of habitat loss and predation by introduced cats and rats following human settlement.
The last recorded sighting of the species occurred in 1889 on the island of Nakodo-jima.
Taxonomically, it was closely related to the Ryukyu Wood Pigeon, which is also now extinct.

Habitat

Dense subtropical evergreen forests

Range

Ogasawara Islands (Bonin Islands), Japan

Similar & commonly confused birds

Afep PigeonColumba unicincta Andaman Wood-PigeonColumba palumboides Ashy Wood-PigeonColumba pulchricollis Black Wood-PigeonColumba janthina Bolle's PigeonColumba bollii Cameroon PigeonColumba sjostedti Common Wood-PigeonColumba palumbus Comoro PigeonColumba pollenii

Heard a Bonin Pigeon?

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