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

Large-billed Tern

Phaetusa simplex

A large, distinctive freshwater tern of South America, easily identified by its massive yellow bill and striking tricolored wing pattern.

What it sounds like

A harsh, raspy, and grating 'kee-ark' or 'kyarr'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Marcos E. Sosa · ArgentinaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Possesses a disproportionately large, heavy, bright yellow bill used for snatching fish.
Exhibits a bold wing pattern in flight featuring black primaries, white secondaries, and gray coverts.
Primarily an inland species, it is rarely found far from large river systems or freshwater lakes.
Breeds in colonies on expansive river sandbars that emerge during the dry season.
Forages by plunge-diving for fish or occasionally hawking insects over the water's surface.

Habitat

Large tropical rivers, freshwater lakes, and occasionally coastal lagoons.

Range

South America, primarily east of the Andes from Colombia to northern Argentina.

Heard a Large-billed Tern?

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