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

Buller's Shearwater

Ardenna bulleri

A large, elegant procellariid seabird characterized by its striking 'M' pattern on the upperwings and its long-distance trans-equatorial migrations across the Pacific.

What it sounds like

Usually silent at sea; at breeding colonies, it produces a series of harsh, rhythmic moans, croaks, and wailing bray-like notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Sophie Bennett · New ZealandCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Breeds exclusively on the Poor Knights Islands off the North Island of New Zealand.
Displays a distinctive dark 'M' or 'W' pattern across its silvery-grey upperparts, a feature unique among larger shearwaters.
Undertakes a massive figure-eight migration, reaching as far north as the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea during the austral winter.
Nests in deep burrows or rock crevices on forested islands, often in extremely high densities.
Populations recovered significantly after the eradication of feral pigs from their primary breeding grounds in the late 1930s.

Habitat

Pelagic waters and open ocean; breeds on offshore islands with forest or scrub cover.

Range

Throughout the Pacific Ocean, ranging from New Zealand to Japan, Russia, and the western coast of North America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Flesh-footed ShearwaterArdenna carneipes Great ShearwaterArdenna gravis Pink-footed ShearwaterArdenna creatopus Short-tailed ShearwaterArdenna tenuirostris Sooty ShearwaterArdenna grisea Wedge-tailed ShearwaterArdenna pacifica

Heard a Buller's Shearwater?

Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.

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