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

Brandt's Cormorant

Urile penicillatus

A large, dark seabird of the North American Pacific coast, notable for the brilliant cobalt-blue throat pouch displayed during the breeding season.

What it sounds like

Mostly silent at sea, but produces low, guttural croaks and rhythmic grunting sounds at nesting colonies.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. David Vander Pluym · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

During courtship, adults develop a vibrant turquoise-blue gular pouch and long, white ornamental plumes on their heads and backs.
Unlike many other cormorant species, the Brandt's Cormorant is strictly marine and is rarely found in freshwater environments.
They are exceptional divers, capable of reaching depths exceeding 150 feet to hunt for bottom-dwelling fish and squid.
The species is highly gregarious, often foraging in large 'rafts' and nesting in dense, noisy colonies on rocky cliffs.
Named after Johann Friedrich von Brandt, a German naturalist who first described the bird from specimens collected in the 1830s.

Habitat

Coastal waters, rocky shorelines, kelp forests, and offshore islands.

Range

Pacific Coast of North America, ranging from southern Alaska to Baja California.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Pallas's CormorantUrile perspicillatus Pallas's CormorantUrile perspicillatus Pelagic CormorantUrile pelagicus Red-faced CormorantUrile urile

Heard a Brandt's Cormorant?

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