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

Hawaiian Hawk

Buteo solitarius

The Hawaiian Hawk, or 'Io, is the only hawk native to the Hawaiian Islands and serves as a powerful cultural symbol of royalty and protection. This medium-sized raptor is notable for its two distinct color phases and its status as the archipelago's only endemic member of the Buteo genus.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, piercing scream that sounds like 'ee-oh'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Brooks Rownd · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is a solitary hunter that exists in both a dark morph (sooty brown) and a light morph (pale breast with dark streaking).
In Hawaiian mythology, the hawk is considered an 'aumakua, an ancestral guardian spirit that protects families.
It displays reversed sexual size dimorphism, where females are significantly larger and heavier than males.
The species is a generalist predator, successfully adapting its diet to include introduced species like rodents and mongoose alongside native prey.
Breeding pairs are generally monogamous and maintain the same nesting territory throughout the entire year.

Habitat

Primary and secondary forests, agricultural orchards, and subalpine shrublands.

Range

Endemic to the island of Hawaiʻi (the Big Island).

Similar & commonly confused birds

Augur BuzzardButeo augur Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus Common BuzzardButeo buteo Eastern BuzzardButeo japonicus Ferruginous HawkButeo regalis Forest BuzzardButeo trizonatus Galapagos HawkButeo galapagoensis Gray HawkButeo plagiatus

Heard a Hawaiian Hawk?

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