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

Long-billed Curlew

Numenius americanus

The Long-billed Curlew is North America's largest shorebird, characterized by its cinnamon-buff plumage and an extraordinarily long, decurved bill.

What it sounds like

A loud, rising, two-syllable whistle: 'cur-lee!', often accompanied by rapid, rhythmic piping notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / --:--

Rec. Bruce Lagerquist · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

The female's bill is typically longer than the male's and features a more pronounced curve at the tip.
It was historically nicknamed the 'candlestick bird,' providing the name for San Francisco's former Candlestick Park.
Despite being classified as a shorebird, it breeds in dry, open interior grasslands and sagebrush steppes.
The bill acts like a pair of long forceps, allowing the bird to extract earthworms and deep-burrowing shrimp.
During the breeding season, they perform dramatic 'V'-shaped aerial displays accompanied by loud, melodic whistling.

Habitat

Native shortgrass prairies and wet meadows for breeding; coastal mudflats, salt marshes, and beaches for wintering.

Range

Breeds in the Great Plains and Great Basin of the western United States and Canada; winters along the Pacific and Gulf coasts to Central America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bristle-thighed CurlewNumenius tahitiensis Eskimo CurlewNumenius borealis Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus Far Eastern CurlewNumenius madagascariensis Hudsonian WhimbrelNumenius hudsonicus Little CurlewNumenius minutus Slender-billed CurlewNumenius tenuirostris

Heard a Long-billed Curlew?

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