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

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Larus fuscus

A medium-sized gull characterized by its dark slate-gray to blackish mantle and distinctive bright yellow legs.

What it sounds like

A deep, nasal 'kyow' or 'glayer-glayer-glayer', generally higher-pitched and faster than that of a Herring Gull.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Bauke Albada · NetherlandsCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Smaller and slimmer than the Herring Gull, with noticeably longer and more attenuated wings at rest.
The species is highly migratory, with some European populations wintering as far south as Sub-Saharan Africa.
Unlike the Great Black-backed Gull, adults possess yellow legs rather than pinkish-flesh colored legs.
It has significantly expanded its range in North America since the 1950s, becoming a common winter resident along the Atlantic coast.
It is an opportunistic feeder that frequently follows fishing vessels and scavenges in landfills or urban environments.

Habitat

Coastal cliffs, rocky islands, estuaries, and increasingly found inland on reservoirs, lakes, and rooftops.

Range

Breeds across Northern and Western Europe; winters in Africa, southern Asia, and increasingly common throughout North America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus Armenian GullLarus armenicus Belcher's GullLarus belcheri Black-tailed GullLarus crassirostris California GullLarus californicus Caspian GullLarus cachinnans Common GullLarus canus European Herring GullLarus argentatus

Heard a Lesser Black-backed 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