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

Laughing Gull

Leucophaeus atricilla

A medium-sized gull known for its striking black breeding hood and a boisterous, laughter-like call common along coastal shores.

What it sounds like

A loud, nasal, and rhythmic 'ha-ha-ha-ha-ha' often preceded by a high-pitched 'keer-ah'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:13

Rec. Rory Nefdt · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

During the breeding season, adults develop a crisp black hood that fades to a blurry gray-white smudge behind the eye in winter.
They are notorious kleptoparasites, often seen hovering over brown pelicans to steal fish directly from their pouches.
The species name 'atricilla' is a misnomer; it is Latin for 'black tail,' yet adult Laughing Gulls possess entirely white tails.
They are the most common gull species found breeding throughout the Caribbean and the southeastern United States.
Laughing Gulls are highly social nesters, forming dense colonies in salt marshes where they build nests of grass and weeds.

Habitat

Salt marshes, coastal bays, sandy beaches, and estuaries.

Range

Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America, extending south through the Caribbean to northern South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Dolphin GullLeucophaeus scoresbii Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcan Gray GullLeucophaeus modestus Lava GullLeucophaeus fuliginosus

Heard a Laughing 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