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

Gray-headed Albatross

Thalassarche chrysostoma

A large, circumpolar seabird distinguished by its slate-gray head and striking black bill with bright yellow ridges along the upper and lower mandibles.

What it sounds like

Loud, guttural braying and harsh croaks at nesting colonies; rhythmic bill-clattering during courtship.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Santiago Imberti · ChileCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It holds the record for the fastest bird in level flight, once clocked at 127 km/h (79 mph) during a sub-Antarctic storm.
They are biennial breeders, typically nesting every two years if they successfully fledge a chick.
The species is highly dependent on ommastrephid squid, which it catches primarily by surface-seizing.
During the non-breeding season, they are known to circumnavigate the globe, sometimes multiple times.
Like most albatrosses, they possess a specialized salt gland above the nasal passage to excrete excess salt from seawater.

Habitat

Pelagic open oceans and remote, tussock-covered sub-Antarctic islands for nesting.

Range

Circumpolar distribution across the Southern Ocean, ranging from the Antarctic ice edge to 35°S.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Atlantic Yellow-nosed AlbatrossThalassarche chlororhynchos Black-browed AlbatrossThalassarche melanophris Buller's AlbatrossThalassarche bulleri Chatham AlbatrossThalassarche eremita Indian Yellow-nosed AlbatrossThalassarche carteri Salvin's AlbatrossThalassarche salvini White-capped AlbatrossThalassarche cauta

Heard a Gray-headed Albatross?

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