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

King Eider

Somateria spectabilis

A large, hardy Arctic sea duck distinguished by the male's spectacular multicolored plumage and a prominent orange frontal shield. It is a specialized diver adapted to some of the most extreme marine environments on Earth.

What it sounds like

A low, vibrating, dove-like cooing or a rolling 'croo-croo-croo' emitted by the males during display.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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

Field notes

Adult males possess a bulbous, bright orange 'knob' above the bill that serves as a secondary sexual characteristic during courtship.
They are among the deepest diving ducks, capable of reaching depths exceeding 50 meters to forage for benthic invertebrates.
Unlike the colonial-nesting Common Eider, King Eiders typically nest as solitary pairs near freshwater tundra ponds.
During molt migration, males travel to specific remote locations to replace flight feathers, often forming massive rafts numbering in the tens of thousands.
They are known to winter as far north as open water exists, frequently utilizing polynyas (leads in the pack ice) for foraging.

Habitat

Arctic tundra near freshwater for breeding; marine coastal waters and offshore pack ice for wintering.

Range

Circumpolar Arctic; winters along the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Common EiderSomateria mollissima Spectacled EiderSomateria fischeri

Heard a King Eider?

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