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

Gull-billed Tern

Gelochelidon nilotica

A medium-sized, atypical tern distinguished by its stout, gull-like bill and a diet focused on terrestrial prey rather than fish. It behaves more like a raptor than a typical waterbird, often hawking insects in mid-air.

What it sounds like

A distinctive, raspy, and nasal 'kay-ti-did' or 'ker-wuk' sound.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Ding Li Yong · MongoliaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Unlike most terns, it rarely plunges into water, preferring to snatch insects, lizards, and small mammals from the ground or water surface.
It possesses longer legs and a thicker, blunter bill than its relatives, adaptations for its unique land-based foraging habits.
During courtship, males perform elaborate aerial displays, often carrying a gift of food to present to a potential mate.
While it nests in colonies on sandy beaches or marshes, it often travels several miles inland to hunt over agricultural fields.
The species is one of the most cosmopolitan terns, though the Australian population is now frequently classified as a separate species, G. macrotarsa.

Habitat

Coastal salt marshes, estuaries, lagoons, and inland freshwater marshes or plowed fields.

Range

Widely distributed across southern North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Australian TernGelochelidon macrotarsa

Heard a Gull-billed Tern?

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