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

Least Storm-Petrel

Hydrobates microsoma

The world's smallest seabird, the Least Storm-Petrel is a tiny, all-dark procellariiform known for its erratic, bat-like flight over the Pacific.

What it sounds like

Silent at sea; at nesting sites, it produces a high-pitched, rhythmic chattering or squeaking 'tu-tu-tu-tu' sound.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the smallest species in the order Procellariiformes, weighing only about 20 grams, similar in size to a House Sparrow.
Unlike many other storm-petrels, this species lacks a white rump patch, appearing entirely sooty-black or dark brown in flight.
It exhibits a distinctive 'bounding' flight style with deep, rapid wingbeats that differentiate it from the shearing flight of larger petrels.
The species breeds almost exclusively on islands in the Gulf of California and off the coast of Baja California, nesting in rocky crevices.
Least Storm-Petrels are nocturnal at their breeding colonies to avoid predation from larger gulls and raptors.

Habitat

Pelagic open ocean and rocky island talus slopes for nesting.

Range

Eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from Southern California south to the waters off Colombia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Ainley's Storm-PetrelHydrobates cheimomnestes Ashy Storm-PetrelHydrobates homochroa Band-rumped Storm-PetrelHydrobates castro Black Storm-PetrelHydrobates melania Cape Verde Storm-PetrelHydrobates jabejabe European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus Fork-tailed Storm-PetrelHydrobates furcatus Guadalupe Storm-PetrelHydrobates macrodactylus

Heard a Least Storm-Petrel?

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