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

Eared Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

The Eared Grebe is a small, social waterbird known for its striking golden breeding plumes and extraordinary physiological changes during migration. It is highly gregarious, often congregating in massive flocks at hypersaline lakes.

What it sounds like

A thin, rising whistling 'poo-ee-chk' or a series of high-pitched 'whu-up' notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Julien Piette · FranceCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It undergoes the longest flightless period of any bird species capable of flight, often remaining grounded for 9 to 10 months of the year.
Before migration, the bird doubles its body weight, during which time its digestive organs grow and its flight muscles atrophy significantly.
It is the most abundant grebe species in the world, with over 90% of the North American population staging at the Great Salt Lake or Mono Lake.
Its internal organs must dramatically reorganize and 'shift' weight between the digestive system and flight muscles before it can take to the air.
They are highly specialized hunters of brine shrimp and alkali flies, consuming thousands of individual prey items per day in saline environments.

Habitat

Saline or alkaline lakes during staging; freshwater marshes for breeding; coastal bays and estuaries for wintering.

Range

Widespread throughout western North America, Eurasia, and southern Africa.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Colombian GrebePodiceps andinus Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus Great GrebePodiceps major Hooded GrebePodiceps gallardoi Horned GrebePodiceps auritus Junin GrebePodiceps taczanowskii Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena Silvery GrebePodiceps occipitalis

Heard a Eared Grebe?

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