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 Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

A stocky, secretive woodland wader renowned for its remarkable cryptic plumage and specialized crepuscular displays. It is uniquely adapted for a terrestrial forest existence, far removed from the coastal habitats of most charadriiforms.

What it sounds like

A series of low, frog-like croaks described as 'orr-orr-orr' followed by a sharp, high-pitched metallic 'pizt'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Jesper Lindegren · SwedenCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Large eyes positioned far back on the head provide a 360-degree field of vision, allowing it to detect predators while probing the soil.
The tip of the long bill is prehensile and sensitive, enabling the bird to feel and grasp earthworms deep underground without opening its entire mouth.
Males perform a unique territorial display flight known as 'roding' at dusk and dawn, emitting distinctive vocalizations over the forest canopy.
The plumage features a complex disruptive pattern of buff, chestnut, and black that renders the bird nearly invisible against forest leaf litter.
Mothers have been historically reported to occasionally transport their chicks between their legs or thighs during short flights to escape danger.

Habitat

Moist deciduous or mixed woodlands with dense undergrowth and open glades or rides for displaying.

Range

Extensive range across temperate and subarctic Eurasia; wintering populations move to southern Europe, North Africa, and South Asia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Amami WoodcockScolopax mira American WoodcockScolopax minor Bukidnon WoodcockScolopax bukidnonensis Javan WoodcockScolopax saturata Moluccan WoodcockScolopax rochussenii New Guinea WoodcockScolopax rosenbergii Sulawesi WoodcockScolopax celebensis Sulawesi WoodcockScolopax celebensis

Heard a Eurasian Woodcock?

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