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

Laysan Albatross

Phoebastria immutabilis

A large, long-lived North Pacific seabird celebrated for its remarkable soaring ability and complex, lifelong pair-bonding rituals.

What it sounds like

A diverse repertoire of harsh shrieks, moans, and rapid, rhythmic wooden clattering produced by snapping the mandibles together.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:32

Rec. Alán Palacios · MexicoCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

A female named 'Wisdom' is the oldest confirmed wild bird in history, successfully nesting well into her 70s.
They utilize dynamic soaring to travel thousands of miles across the ocean while barely flapping their wings, exploiting wind gradients over wave crests.
Courtship involves an elaborate 'dance' of up to 25 coordinated movements, including bill-clapping, bowing, and sky-pointing.
They possess specialized supraorbital glands that allow them to drink seawater by excreting excess salt through their nostrils.
Laysan Albatrosses are exceptionally philopatric, often returning to within meters of their own hatching site to establish their first nest.

Habitat

Pelagic open ocean and low-lying coral atolls or sandy islands for nesting.

Range

North Pacific Ocean, with approximately 99% of the population breeding in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-footed AlbatrossPhoebastria nigripes Short-tailed AlbatrossPhoebastria albatrus Waved AlbatrossPhoebastria irrorata

Heard a Laysan Albatross?

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