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

Brown Skua

Stercorarius antarcticus

A large, powerful, and aggressively predatory seabird of the Southern Ocean, known for its heavy build and opportunistic feeding habits.

What it sounds like

A harsh, nasal barking 'gah-gah-gah' and a loud, repetitive long-call delivered with wings raised vertically.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Hichem MACHOUK · FranceCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Frequently preys on the eggs and chicks of penguins and burrowing petrels during the breeding season.
Exhibits intense kleptoparasitism, chasing other seabirds in flight to force them to regurgitate their meals.
Distinctive white patches at the base of the primary feathers create a flashing effect visible only when the wings are spread.
Highly territorial during nesting, they are known to dive-bomb and physically strike human intruders.
Possesses a heavy, hooked bill and strong talons, features more characteristic of a raptor than a typical charadriiform.

Habitat

Coastal tundra, rocky subantarctic islands, and open pelagic waters.

Range

Southern Ocean, including the Antarctic Peninsula and various subantarctic islands.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Chilean SkuaStercorarius chilensis Great SkuaStercorarius skua Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudus Parasitic JaegerStercorarius parasiticus Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinus South Polar SkuaStercorarius maccormicki

Heard a Brown Skua?

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