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

Little Blue Heron

Egretta caerulea

A slender, medium-sized heron unique for its dramatic ontogenetic color change from snowy white as a juvenile to deep slate-blue as an adult. It is a methodical forager often found in quiet, vegetated waters.

What it sounds like

Usually silent; emits low, guttural croaks or raspy 'wuck' sounds when disturbed or at nesting sites.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Valerie Heemstra · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Juveniles are entirely white for their first year, which allows them to integrate into Snowy Egret flocks for protection and improved foraging success.
During the transition from juvenile to adult plumage, birds display a 'calico' or 'pied' appearance with patches of both white and blue feathers.
Unlike many other herons, this species lacks the long, showy nuptial plumes that historically made other egrets targets for the plume trade.
Adults exhibit a distinctive bicolored bill that is cobalt blue at the base and transitions into a sharp black tip.
They are patient 'stand-and-wait' predators, moving much more slowly and deliberately than the more frantic Snowy Egret.

Habitat

Freshwater swamps, marshes, lakes, ponds, and coastal lagoons.

Range

Southeastern United States through the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black HeronEgretta ardesiaca Chinese EgretEgretta eulophotes Little EgretEgretta garzetta Pacific Reef-HeronEgretta sacra Pied HeronEgretta picata Reddish EgretEgretta rufescens Slaty EgretEgretta vinaceigula Slaty EgretEgretta vinaceigula

Heard a Little Blue Heron?

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