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

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

A large, white wading bird distinguished by its long, spatulate bill and elegant, upright posture.

What it sounds like

Generally silent, but produces low, guttural grunts at colonies and performs rhythmic bill-clattering during displays.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Frank Lambert · United KingdomCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Feeds by using a lateral 'mowing' motion, detecting prey through highly sensitive nerve endings in its bill tip.
During the breeding season, adults develop a shaggy nuchal crest and a golden-yellow patch at the base of the neck.
While adults have black bills with yellow tips, juveniles possess pale, pinkish-gray bills for their first few years.
They are highly colonial nesters, often building platform nests in dense reedbeds or high up in trees.
Unlike herons, spoonbills fly with their necks fully extended, creating a distinctive silhouette in flight.

Habitat

Shallow freshwater or brackish wetlands, marshes, coastal lagoons, and estuaries with muddy substrates.

Range

Widespread across the Palearctic, ranging from Europe and North Africa to Central Asia, India, and China.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African SpoonbillPlatalea alba Black-faced SpoonbillPlatalea minor Roseate SpoonbillPlatalea ajaja Royal SpoonbillPlatalea regia Yellow-billed SpoonbillPlatalea flavipes

Heard a Eurasian Spoonbill?

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