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

Cook's Petrel

Pterodroma cookii

The Cook's Petrel is a small, agile gadfly petrel characterized by its pale grey plumage and a distinct dark 'M' pattern across its upperwings. It is a highly pelagic seabird that undertakes massive trans-Pacific migrations between its New Zealand breeding grounds and the North Pacific.

What it sounds like

A rapid, nasal, and repetitive 'kek-kek-kek' or 'ti-ti-ti' given by birds in flight over breeding colonies at night.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Nathan El · New ZealandCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It breeds exclusively on three islands in New Zealand: Little Barrier (Hauturu), Great Barrier (Aotea), and Codfish (Whenua Hou).
Unlike many seabirds that nest on coastal cliffs, it builds its burrows in high-altitude forested ridges up to 1,000 meters above sea level.
During the non-breeding season, it migrates over 10,000 kilometers to the California Current and the central North Pacific.
It is a nocturnal visitor to its breeding colonies to avoid predation by large gulls and skuas.
Conservation efforts, including the eradication of invasive cats and rats on its breeding islands, have successfully moved the species from 'Endangered' to 'Vulnerable'.

Habitat

Open pelagic waters and high-altitude temperate island forests.

Range

Breeds in New Zealand; ranges across the Eastern and Central North Pacific during the non-breeding season.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Atlantic PetrelPterodroma incerta Barau's PetrelPterodroma baraui Bermuda PetrelPterodroma cahow Black-capped PetrelPterodroma hasitata Black-winged PetrelPterodroma nigripennis Bonin PetrelPterodroma hypoleuca Cape Verde PetrelPterodroma feae Chatham Islands PetrelPterodroma axillaris

Heard a Cook's Petrel?

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Identify a bird by its song