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

Makira Moorhen

Gallinula silvestris

A large, flightless, and critically endangered rail endemic to Makira, known primarily from a single specimen and sporadic local reports.

What it sounds like

Reported by indigenous hunters as a piercing, high-pitched whistle, though undocumented by Western science.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the only flightless bird species known from the island of Makira.
The species was first described scientifically in 1933 based on a specimen collected in 1929.
Its plumage is predominantly blackish-slate with a distinctive red frontal shield and pale-tipped bill.
While officially listed as Critically Endangered, some experts believe it may already be extinct due to predation by invasive pigs and dogs.
Local knowledge suggests the bird is nocturnal or crepuscular, hiding in dense undergrowth during the day.

Habitat

Deep montane forests and damp lowland jungles with dense understory.

Range

Makira (San Cristobal), Solomon Islands.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Common GallinuleGallinula galeata Dusky MoorhenGallinula tenebrosa Eurasian MoorhenGallinula chloropus Gough MoorhenGallinula comeri Samoan MoorhenGallinula pacifica Tristan MoorhenGallinula nesiotis

Heard a Makira Moorhen?

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