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

Lord Howe Swamphen

Porphyrio albus

An extinct, large, flightless rail from Lord Howe Island, notable for its distinctive white plumage and extreme tameness toward humans.

What it sounds like

No recordings exist, but contemporary accounts suggest a loud, harsh screech similar to the Purple Swamphen.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It was closely related to the Purple Swamphen but evolved to be larger, stouter, and lost the ability to fly.
Only two authentic taxidermy skins exist today, currently housed in museums in Liverpool and Vienna.
While predominantly white, early accounts and some specimens suggest some individuals possessed blue feathering on the wings or breast.
The species was driven to extinction by the mid-19th century due to hunting by sailors and predation by introduced pigs and cats.
Early visitors reported that the birds were so unafraid they could be easily knocked down with sticks or caught by hand.

Habitat

Subtropical forests, coastal scrub, and marshy margins of the island's lowlands.

Range

Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia (Extinct).

Similar & commonly confused birds

African SwamphenPorphyrio madagascariensis Allen's GallinulePorphyrio alleni Australasian SwamphenPorphyrio melanotus Azure GallinulePorphyrio flavirostris Black-backed SwamphenPorphyrio indicus Gray-headed SwamphenPorphyrio poliocephalus Marquesan SwamphenPorphyrio paepae New Caledonian GallinulePorphyrio kukwiedei

Heard a Lord Howe Swamphen?

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