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

Great Snipe

Gallinago media

The Great Snipe is a robust migratory wader renowned for its record-breaking non-stop endurance flights and complex communal lekking behavior. It is distinguished from other snipes by its bulkier build and heavily barred underparts.

What it sounds like

A rapid, accelerating series of mechanical clicking and popping sounds, resembling a drumming rhythm, often ending in a soft whistle.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Håkan Johansson · SwedenCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It can perform non-stop migratory flights of up to 6,800 kilometers at speeds reaching nearly 100 km/h.
Males gather at communal 'leks' at night to compete for mates through elaborate acoustic and postural displays.
Unlike its relatives, it typically flies in a steady, straight line when flushed rather than in a zigzag pattern.
The species possesses distinctive white outer tail feathers that are flashed prominently during courtship rituals to attract females.
It is currently classified as Near Threatened, primarily due to the drainage of its specialized wetland habitats.

Habitat

Wet meadows, marshy floodplains, and peat bogs with short vegetation during breeding; moist grasslands during winter.

Range

Breeds in North-eastern Europe and Western Siberia; winters across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African SnipeGallinago nigripennis Common SnipeGallinago gallinago Fuegian SnipeGallinago stricklandii Giant SnipeGallinago undulata Imperial SnipeGallinago imperialis Jameson's SnipeGallinago jamesoni Jameson's SnipeGallinago jamesoni Latham's SnipeGallinago hardwickii

Heard a Great Snipe?

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

Identify a bird by its song