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

Glaucous-winged Gull

Larus glaucescens

A large, heavy-billed gull of the Pacific Northwest, characterized by its distinctive pale gray wingtips that match the color of its mantle.

What it sounds like

A series of loud, harsh, and somewhat nasal 'kyow' or 'glayer' notes, typically lower in pitch than the Herring Gull.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Peter Ward and Ken Hall · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Adults lack the black primary wing-tips found in most other large gulls, showing instead a uniform pearl-gray coloration across the upperwings.
They hybridize extensively with Western Gulls in the Pacific Northwest, producing fertile offspring colloquially known as 'Olympic Gulls.'
This species follows a 'four-year' plumage cycle, transitioning through complex mottled brown stages before reaching adult plumage.
They are highly opportunistic foragers, known to drop hard-shelled mollusks onto rocks or pavement from the air to break them open.
During the breeding season, they are often found nesting on offshore islands, but they also frequently utilize urban rooftops and piers.

Habitat

Coastal waters, rocky shores, estuaries, beaches, and urban waterfronts.

Range

North Pacific coast from the Bering Sea and Alaska south to Baja California in winter.

Similar & commonly confused birds

American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus Armenian GullLarus armenicus Belcher's GullLarus belcheri Black-tailed GullLarus crassirostris California GullLarus californicus Caspian GullLarus cachinnans Common GullLarus canus European Herring GullLarus argentatus

Heard a Glaucous-winged Gull?

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