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

Newell's Shearwater

Puffinus newelli

A medium-sized, critically endangered seabird endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, characterized by its sharply contrasting black upperparts and white underparts.

What it sounds like

A bizarre, nocturnal series of donkey-like braying, crowing, and wheezing sounds heard over nesting colonies.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:17

Rec. Tim Holland · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Approximately 90% of the global population nests on the island of Kauaʻi, often on nearly vertical, fern-covered cliffs.
Fledglings are highly susceptible to 'fallout,' where artificial lights disorient them during their first flight to the sea.
The species was once considered a subspecies of the Townsend's Shearwater before being elevated to full species status.
They are long-lived birds that typically do not begin breeding until they are five or six years old.
Invasive predators such as feral cats, pigs, and Barn Owls are the primary terrestrial threats to their nesting burrows.

Habitat

Nests in burrows on steep, mountainous slopes dominated by uluhe ferns; otherwise pelagic in the open ocean.

Range

Endemic to the Hawaiian Islands; ranges throughout the central Pacific during the non-breeding season.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Balearic ShearwaterPuffinus mauretanicus Bannerman's ShearwaterPuffinus bannermani Barolo ShearwaterPuffinus baroli Black-vented ShearwaterPuffinus opisthomelas Boyd's ShearwaterPuffinus boydi Bryan's ShearwaterPuffinus bryani Christmas ShearwaterPuffinus nativitatis Fluttering ShearwaterPuffinus gavia

Heard a Newell's Shearwater?

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