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

Fish Crow

Corvus ossifragus

A medium-sized, all-black corvid of the eastern United States, the Fish Crow is nearly identical in appearance to the American Crow but is distinguished by its smaller size and nasal vocalizations.

What it sounds like

A short, high-pitched, and distinctly nasal 'uh-uh' or a flat, buzzy 'caah'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Gregory Askew · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is most reliably identified by its voice, producing a nasal 'uh-uh' call that sounds like a flat refusal.
Unlike many other crows, it has a unique foraging habit of hovering over water to pluck food items from the surface.
It is a prolific nest predator, frequently raiding the colonies of herons, ibises, and gulls to steal eggs and hatchlings.
Though historically a coastal specialist, the species has rapidly expanded inland along major river systems such as the Mississippi and Ohio.
When calling, Fish Crows often fluff their throat feathers, a behavioral cue that helps distinguish them from American Crows.

Habitat

Coastal marshes, beaches, estuaries, riverbanks, and increasingly urban areas near large bodies of water.

Range

Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States, extending inland through the Mississippi River Valley and southern New England.

Similar & commonly confused birds

American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos Australian RavenCorvus coronoides Banggai CrowCorvus unicolor Bismarck CrowCorvus insularis Bougainville CrowCorvus meeki Brown-headed CrowCorvus fuscicapillus Brown-necked RavenCorvus ruficollis Cape CrowCorvus capensis

Heard a Fish Crow?

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