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 Zealand Quail

Coturnix novaezelandiae

The New Zealand Quail, or koreke, was a small, ground-dwelling game bird that served as the country's only indigenous quail before its extinction in the late 19th century.

What it sounds like

Described as a rapid, repetitive 'twit-twit-twit-twit' or a series of low whistling notes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the only native quail species known to have inhabited New Zealand since human arrival.
The species was declared extinct by approximately 1875, just decades after European settlement began in earnest.
Early naturalists reported that the birds were incredibly abundant, with some hunters flushing dozens in a single day.
Sir Joseph Banks made the first recorded European observations of the bird during Captain Cook's first voyage in 1769.
Genetic research indicates its closest living relative is the Stubble Quail (Coturnix pectoralis) of Australia.

Habitat

Open grasslands, low-lying scrub, and fern-covered hillsides.

Range

Endemic to the North and South Islands of New Zealand; now extinct.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Common QuailCoturnix coturnix Harlequin QuailCoturnix delegorguei Japanese QuailCoturnix japonica Rain QuailCoturnix coromandelica Stubble QuailCoturnix pectoralis

Heard a New Zealand Quail?

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