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

Hartlaub's Gull

Chroicocephalus hartlaubii

A small, sedentary gull endemic to the southwestern coast of Africa, known for its successful adaptation to both coastal and urban environments.

What it sounds like

A harsh, nasal, and raucous 'kwaaar' or 'krrah', typically higher-pitched than the Kelp Gull.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Filippo Ceccolini · NamibiaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is named after the German zoologist and physician Gustav Hartlaub.
While mostly white and grey, breeding adults can develop a very faint, pale lavender-grey hood that is often difficult to distinguish in the field.
The species is highly gregarious and frequently forms large, mixed-species breeding colonies with Swift Terns.
Unlike many other gull species, Hartlaub's Gull is non-migratory and stays within its coastal range year-round.
It has become a common urban scavenger in cities like Cape Town, where it nests on rooftops and feeds on human refuse.

Habitat

Coastal shorelines, estuaries, harbors, and increasingly urban city centers and parks.

Range

Coastal Namibia and South Africa, primarily along the Atlantic seaboard.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Andean GullChroicocephalus serranus Black-billed GullChroicocephalus bulleri Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia Brown-headed GullChroicocephalus brunnicephalus Brown-hooded GullChroicocephalus maculipennis Gray-hooded GullChroicocephalus cirrocephalus Silver GullChroicocephalus novaehollandiae

Heard a Hartlaub's Gull?

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