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

Common Tern

Sterna hirundo

A slender, graceful seabird known for its deeply forked 'swallow-like' tail and acrobatic plunge-diving maneuvers over both salt and fresh water.

What it sounds like

A harsh, piercing, and downward-slurring 'kree-errr' or a rapid, staccato 'kek-kek-kek' alarm.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:15

Rec. Richard E. Webster · MongoliaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Distinguishable from the similar Arctic Tern by its longer legs and a bill that is typically orange-red with a distinct black tip.
Often referred to as the 'sea swallow' due to its elegant profile and deeply streamers on the outer tail feathers.
During courtship, males perform 'fish-flights' where they carry a small fish in their bill to attract and provide for a potential mate.
They are highly territorial colonial nesters, frequently dive-bombing and striking intruders, including humans, to protect their ground nests.
A long-distance migrant, some populations travel from subarctic breeding grounds to wintering sites as far south as the tip of South America.

Habitat

Coastal beaches, rocky islands, estuaries, salt marshes, and large inland lakes or rivers.

Range

Holarctic breeding range across North America, Europe, and Asia; winters in the Southern Hemisphere and tropical oceans.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Antarctic TernSterna vittata Arctic TernSterna paradisaea Black-bellied TernSterna acuticauda Black-naped TernSterna sumatrana Forster's TernSterna forsteri Kerguelen TernSterna virgata River TernSterna aurantia Roseate TernSterna dougallii

Heard a Common Tern?

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