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

Indian Skimmer

Rynchops albicollis

A specialized riverine waterbird easily identified by its striking orange bill with a disproportionately long lower mandible used for surface-skimming.

What it sounds like

A sharp, metallic 'kyap' or 'kree-kree' bark, most audible when the colony is disturbed.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Raphaël Jordan · IndiaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

The lower mandible is significantly longer than the upper, allowing the bird to snap up prey while flying low over the water's surface.
It is one of the few bird species with vertical slit pupils, an adaptation that likely helps manage glare from sand and water.
Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, its global population is estimated at fewer than 10,000 mature individuals.
They are primarily crepuscular or nocturnal foragers, a strategy that helps them avoid kleptoparasitism from gulls.
Breeding occurs in colonies on exposed riverine sandbars, often in association with Little Terns and Great Thick-knees.

Habitat

Large, slow-flowing lowland rivers and occasionally coastal estuaries and lakes.

Range

Primarily the Indian subcontinent, with major populations restricted to the river systems of India and Pakistan.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African SkimmerRynchops flavirostris Black SkimmerRynchops niger

Heard a Indian Skimmer?

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