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

Northern Nutcracker

Nucifraga caryocatactes

The Northern Nutcracker is a robust, chocolate-brown corvid distinguished by dense white spotting and a powerful bill specialized for extracting seeds. It is a key ecological driver in mountain forests due to its sophisticated seed-caching behaviors.

What it sounds like

A loud, harsh, and rhythmic grating 'krää-krää-krää' or 'kraw-kraw'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Lucien Hueber · FranceCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Possesses a specialized sublingual pouch under the tongue used to transport up to 100 seeds at once.
A single individual can cache over 30,000 seeds annually to ensure a food supply through winter.
Exhibits extraordinary spatial memory, allowing it to relocate buried caches months later even under deep snow.
Has a mutualistic relationship with the Swiss pine, acting as the primary agent for the tree's seed dispersal.
The bill features a unique central ridge that acts as a wedge to crack open hard-shelled nuts without damaging the kernel.

Habitat

Montane coniferous forests, particularly those containing large-seeded pine, spruce, and hazel.

Range

Spans the Palearctic from Scandinavia and the Alps eastward through Siberia to Japan.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Clark's NutcrackerNucifraga columbiana Kashmir NutcrackerNucifraga multipunctata Southern NutcrackerNucifraga hemispila

Heard a Northern Nutcracker?

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