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

Eastern Cattle-Egret

Ardea coromanda

A small, stocky white heron frequently found in terrestrial environments, recognized by its distinctive buff-colored breeding plumes and association with large herbivores.

What it sounds like

Generally silent, but produces harsh, rhythmic croaking sounds and dry 'rick-rack' notes at nesting colonies.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

Primarily insectivorous, it exploits a commensal relationship with livestock to catch grasshoppers and other prey flushed by their movement.
During the breeding season, it develops prominent orange-buff feathers on the head, neck, and back, which are more extensive than those of the Western Cattle Egret.
Unlike most Ardeids, it has adapted to forage in dry grasslands and agricultural fields rather than strictly aquatic habitats.
The species exhibits a unique head-swaying motion while foraging, likely to enhance depth perception for striking at moving prey.
Taxonomically split from the Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) due to differences in morphology, plumage, and vocalizations.

Habitat

Open grasslands, pastures, agricultural fields, and occasionally shallow wetlands.

Range

Widespread across South and East Asia, the Malay Archipelago, Australia, and New Zealand.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-headed HeronArdea melanocephala Cocoi HeronArdea cocoi Goliath HeronArdea goliath Gray HeronArdea cinerea Great Blue HeronArdea herodias Great EgretArdea alba Great-billed HeronArdea sumatrana Humblot's HeronArdea humbloti

Heard a Eastern Cattle-Egret?

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