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

Hooded Merganser

Lophodytes cucullatus

The Hooded Merganser is a small, ornate diving duck characterized by its fan-like crest and specialized 'sawbill' for hunting aquatic prey.

What it sounds like

A low, mechanical, frog-like 'crrr-crrr-crrr' or a gravelly croak during courtship.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Jonathon Jongsma · United StatesCC BY-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males feature an inflatable, white-and-black crest used for elaborate courtship displays.
They are secondary cavity nesters, often occupying abandoned woodpecker holes or nest boxes.
Equipped with a specialized third eyelid called a nictitating membrane that acts like underwater goggles.
As 'sawbills,' they possess serrated mandibles specifically evolved to grip slippery fish and crustaceans.
Females frequently engage in brood parasitism, laying eggs in the nests of other Hooded Mergansers or Wood Ducks.

Habitat

Forested wetlands, quiet ponds, and swamps; brackish estuaries and tidal creeks during winter.

Range

Endemic to North America; breeds in southern Canada and the northern/eastern US, wintering along the coasts.

Heard a Hooded Merganser?

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