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 Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipes

A slender, medium-sized shorebird distinguished by its long, bright yellow legs and straight, needle-like bill. It is a graceful inhabitant of shallow wetlands and mudflats during its long-distance migrations.

What it sounds like

A thin, high-pitched whistle, typically 'tew' or 'tu-tu', which is softer and shorter than the call of the Greater Yellowlegs.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / --:--

Rec. Tony Rinaud · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Distinguished from the Greater Yellowlegs by a shorter, slimmer bill that is approximately the same length as its head.
Unlike many shorebirds, they frequently nest in open areas of boreal forests and are known to perch on the tops of trees.
They are remarkable long-distance migrants, with some individuals traveling from the subarctic to as far south as Tierra del Fuego.
To defend their nests, they perform dramatic 'broken-wing' displays to lure potential predators away from their offspring.
Their foraging technique involves rapid pecking at the water's surface and occasionally 'scything' their bills through the mud to capture insects.

Habitat

Freshwater marshes, mudflats, lake edges, and open boreal forest clearings during the breeding season.

Range

Breeds in Alaska and Canada; winters from the southern United States through the Caribbean to southern South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Common GreenshankTringa nebularia Common RedshankTringa totanus Gray-tailed TattlerTringa brevipes Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleuca Green SandpiperTringa ochropus Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis Nordmann's GreenshankTringa guttifer Solitary SandpiperTringa solitaria

Heard a Lesser Yellowlegs?

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