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

Forster's Tern

Sterna forsteri

A medium-sized, elegant tern known for its deeply forked tail and agile flight over North American wetlands. It is unique among its relatives for its strong preference for inland marshes during the breeding season.

What it sounds like

A harsh, grating, descending 'kyarr' and a sharp, buzzy 'z-z-z-ap' note.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Paul Driver · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is named after the German naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster, who accompanied Captain James Cook on his second voyage.
Unlike the similar Common Tern, it is primarily a bird of marshes rather than open beaches during the nesting season.
In non-breeding plumage, it loses its black cap, retaining only a characteristic dark patch through each eye.
They frequently nest on floating mats of vegetation or on top of muskrat lodges to protect eggs from flooding.
They are skilled hunters that perform vertical plunges for fish or capture dragonflies mid-air.

Habitat

Freshwater and salt marshes, estuaries, and coastal lagoons.

Range

Breeds across the northern U.S. and southern Canada; winters along the coasts of North America southward to Central America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Antarctic TernSterna vittata Arctic TernSterna paradisaea Black-bellied TernSterna acuticauda Black-naped TernSterna sumatrana Common TernSterna hirundo Kerguelen TernSterna virgata River TernSterna aurantia Roseate TernSterna dougallii

Heard a Forster's Tern?

Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.

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