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 Petrel

Pterodroma sandwichensis

The Hawaiian Petrel, or 'Ua'u, is a large, endangered gadfly petrel endemic to Hawaii, distinguished by its white underparts and dark gray uppers.

What it sounds like

A loud, repeated barking 'oo-ah-oo' or 'oo-wuh-oo' that resembles the yapping of a small dog.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / --:--

Rec. Saxony Charlot · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Locally named 'Ua'u after its distinctive nocturnal call heard when returning to nesting colonies.
Nests in high-altitude volcanic burrows or rock crevices, sometimes exceeding 9,000 feet in elevation on Haleakalā.
Individuals can travel up to 6,000 miles in a single foraging trip to provide food for their sole chick.
The species is highly philopatric, meaning adults return to the exact same burrow year after year to breed.
Threatened significantly by light pollution, which causes fledglings to become disoriented and 'fall out' during their first flight to sea.

Habitat

Nests on high-elevation volcanic slopes and alpine cinder deserts; forages in pelagic open ocean waters.

Range

Breeds only in the main Hawaiian Islands; ranges across the North Pacific from the equator to the Gulf of Alaska.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Atlantic PetrelPterodroma incerta Barau's PetrelPterodroma baraui Bermuda PetrelPterodroma cahow Black-capped PetrelPterodroma hasitata Black-winged PetrelPterodroma nigripennis Bonin PetrelPterodroma hypoleuca Cape Verde PetrelPterodroma feae Chatham Islands PetrelPterodroma axillaris

Heard a Hawaiian Petrel?

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