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

Kauai Oo

Moho braccatus

The Kauai Oo was the last surviving member of the Mohoidae family and is now considered extinct, with the final individual documented in 1987. It was a specialized nectarivore characterized by its dark plumage and striking yellow leg feathers.

What it sounds like

A series of loud, clear, hollow whistles and flute-like notes with a haunting, bell-like quality.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It was the smallest of the four Hawaiian 'O'o species, reaching about 20 centimeters in length.
The species is famous for a tragic 1987 recording of the last surviving male singing a duet song to a mate that would never come.
DNA analysis confirmed it was part of a unique family (Mohoidae) that represented a case of convergent evolution with Australian honeyeaters.
Unlike many other Hawaiian forest birds, the Kauai Oo nested in tree cavities, which made them highly vulnerable to predation by introduced rats.
The Mohoidae family is the only avian family to have gone entirely extinct in the last 500 years.

Habitat

High-elevation montane rainforests and dense, mossy thickets of the interior plateau.

Range

Endemic to the island of Kauai, Hawaii, specifically the Alakai Wilderness Preserve.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bishop's OoMoho bishopi Hawaii OoMoho nobilis Oahu OoMoho apicalis

Heard a Kauai Oo?

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