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

Marbled Murrelet

Brachyramphus marmoratus

A small, mysterious Pacific seabird uniquely known for nesting in the high canopy of coastal old-growth forests.

What it sounds like

High-pitched, sharp, and ringing 'keer' or 'keer-keer' whistles, often heard as they fly over the forest canopy.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:35

Rec. Kayla Brown · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

The species was one of the last North American birds to have its nesting site discovered, with the first nest found only in 1974.
Unlike most alcids that nest on rocky cliffs, it lays a single egg on thick, mossy branches of ancient coniferous trees.
Adults often commute up to 50 miles inland from the ocean to feed their chicks, typically flying under the cover of dawn or dusk.
Their plumage undergoes a dramatic shift from cryptic, mottled brown 'marbling' in summer to a sharp black-and-white pattern in winter.
They are considered a flagship species for old-growth forest conservation due to their extreme sensitivity to logging and habitat fragmentation.

Habitat

Nearshore marine waters for foraging and mature, old-growth coniferous forests for nesting.

Range

North Pacific coastline, spanning from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to Central California.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Kittlitz's MurreletBrachyramphus brevirostris Long-billed MurreletBrachyramphus perdix

Heard a Marbled Murrelet?

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