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

Greater Scaup

Aythya marila

A medium-sized diving duck characterized by its rounded head and distinctive 'blue bill,' often found in large, dense flocks on coastal waters during winter.

What it sounds like

Generally silent, but females produce a harsh, guttural 'karr-karr' and males give soft whistles or 'scaup' notes during courtship.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Andrew Spencer · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the only circumpolar diving duck in the genus Aythya, breeding across the Arctic regions of North America, Europe, and Asia.
Males are distinguished from the nearly identical Lesser Scaup by a more rounded head shape and a greenish, rather than purplish, iridescent sheen.
During the non-breeding season, they form massive offshore 'rafts' that can consist of several thousand individuals.
The species is highly specialized for diving, often reaching depths of up to 6 meters to forage for mollusks and aquatic invertebrates.
In flight, the Greater Scaup displays a white wing stripe that extends further toward the wingtip than that of the Lesser Scaup.

Habitat

Tundra wetlands and lakes for breeding; coastal bays, estuaries, and large ice-free inland lakes during winter.

Range

Holarctic; breeds in the Arctic/Subarctic and winters along temperate coastlines of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Eurasia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Baer's PochardAythya baeri CanvasbackAythya valisineria Common PochardAythya ferina Ferruginous DuckAythya nyroca HardheadAythya australis Lesser ScaupAythya affinis Madagascar PochardAythya innotata New Zealand ScaupAythya novaeseelandiae

Heard a Greater Scaup?

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