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

Javan Woodcock

Scolopax saturata

A secretive, dark-plumaged forest wader endemic to the montane regions of Indonesia. It is primarily nocturnal and characterized by its specialized soil-probing behavior.

What it sounds like

A series of low, croaking 'orr-orr-orr' notes followed by a sharp, high-pitched whistling 'tsiik'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:03

Rec. Julia Wittmann · IndonesiaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Possesses significantly darker and more rufous plumage than the closely related Eurasian Woodcock.
Equipped with a prehensile bill tip containing sensitive nerve endings to detect prey vibrations in soft soil.
Performs 'roding' display flights during twilight, circling above the forest canopy to attract mates.
Its eyes are positioned far back on the skull, granting a nearly 360-degree field of vision to detect approaching predators.
Primarily feeds on earthworms and insect larvae found within the damp leaf litter of cloud forests.

Habitat

Damp, mossy montane forests and high-altitude primary rainforests.

Range

Endemic to the mountains of Java and Sumatra, Indonesia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Amami WoodcockScolopax mira American WoodcockScolopax minor Bukidnon WoodcockScolopax bukidnonensis Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola Moluccan WoodcockScolopax rochussenii New Guinea WoodcockScolopax rosenbergii Sulawesi WoodcockScolopax celebensis Sulawesi WoodcockScolopax celebensis

Heard a Javan Woodcock?

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