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

Ivory Gull

Pagophila eburnea

A distinctive, medium-sized gull of the high Arctic, the Ivory Gull is noted for its striking pure white adult plumage and its specialized existence among sea ice. It is a hardy scavenger often found in the company of polar bears.

What it sounds like

A harsh, high-pitched, and shrill 'kree-er' similar to the call of an Arctic Tern.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Stein Ø. Nilsen · NorwayCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Adults are the only gull species in the world with entirely white plumage, lacking any black or grey markings on the wings.
They are specialized scavengers that frequently follow polar bears to feed on the remains of seal carcasses.
Unlike most other gulls, the Ivory Gull rarely swims and spends the majority of its time on ice or solid ground.
They possess unique, roughly textured pads on the soles of their feet that provide enhanced traction on slippery ice.
Breeding colonies are often located on nunataks—isolated mountain peaks that project through the surface of glacial ice sheets.

Habitat

Pack ice, drift ice, and remote rocky Arctic cliffs or inland nunataks.

Range

Circumpolar Arctic, including northern Canada, Greenland, Svalbard, and northern Russia.

Heard a Ivory Gull?

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