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

New Caledonian Gallinule

Porphyrio kukwiedei

The New Caledonian Gallinule is an extinct, large, flightless rail that was significantly more robust than its extant relative, the Purple Swamphen.

What it sounds like

Unknown; likely consisted of deep, resonant booming or croaking notes typical of large Rallidae.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It was a heavy-bodied bird, likely flightless or nearly so, adapted for a terrestrial lifestyle on the island of Grande Terre.
The species is primarily known from subfossil remains, though oral traditions suggest it may have survived until the mid-19th century.
Its specific name, 'kukwiedei', is derived from the indigenous name used by the Kanak people of New Caledonia.
Skeletal analysis indicates it was roughly 25-50% larger than the sympatric Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio).
It likely succumbed to extinction due to a combination of hunting by early humans and predation by introduced pigs and rats.

Habitat

Lowland tropical forests, dense scrub, and potentially wetland margins.

Range

New Caledonia (Grande Terre)

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 Lord Howe SwamphenPorphyrio albus Marquesan SwamphenPorphyrio paepae

Heard a New Caledonian Gallinule?

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