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

Far Eastern Curlew

Numenius madagascariensis

The Far Eastern Curlew is the world's largest shorebird, distinguished by its exceptionally long, downward-curved bill and heavily streaked brown plumage.

What it sounds like

A haunting, mournful 'coo-ree' or 'cur-loo' whistle, often delivered in a series.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Lim Ying Hien 林勇贤 · MalaysiaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

It possesses the longest bill of any shorebird, reaching up to 19 centimeters in length to probe deep for mud-dwelling prey.
Unlike the similar Eurasian Curlew, it lacks a white rump, showing a uniform barred-brown pattern across its lower back and tail.
It is classified as Endangered due to habitat loss at critical migratory stopover sites, particularly in the Yellow Sea region.
The species performs incredible non-stop flights during its 10,000-kilometer migration along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
Their diet is specialized toward intertidal invertebrates, specifically crabs and ghost shrimp extracted from deep burrows.

Habitat

Intertidal mudflats, estuaries, and mangroves during the non-breeding season; bogs and marshy steppes for breeding.

Range

Breeds in Northeast Asia (Siberia, Mongolia, China) and winters primarily in Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bristle-thighed CurlewNumenius tahitiensis Eskimo CurlewNumenius borealis Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus Hudsonian WhimbrelNumenius hudsonicus Little CurlewNumenius minutus Long-billed CurlewNumenius americanus Slender-billed CurlewNumenius tenuirostris

Heard a Far Eastern Curlew?

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