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

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

A medium-sized, agile seabird renowned for its kleptoparasitic behavior and distinctive pointed central tail streamers. It exhibits striking polymorphic plumage, occurring in both light and dark color morphs.

What it sounds like

A nasal, mewing 'ay-ee-ah' or a series of harsh, yelping 'ka-yow' notes given on the breeding grounds.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Lars Edenius · SwedenCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Relies heavily on kleptoparasitism, chasing gulls and terns in high-speed aerial pursuits until they disgorge their food.
Breeding adults possess distinctive, pointed central tail feathers called streamers that project beyond the rest of the tail.
Unlike most seabirds, it nests on the open tundra, often utilizing 'broken-wing' displays to lure predators away from the nest.
Light-morph individuals are more common in the northernmost parts of their range, while dark morphs increase in frequency further south.
The species is highly pelagic during the non-breeding season, migrating as far south as the tip of South America and Australia.

Habitat

Arctic and subarctic tundra during the breeding season; open ocean and coastal waters during migration and winter.

Range

Circumpolar breeding distribution in the Northern Hemisphere; winters in tropical and southern temperate oceans.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Brown SkuaStercorarius antarcticus Chilean SkuaStercorarius chilensis Great SkuaStercorarius skua Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudus Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinus South Polar SkuaStercorarius maccormicki

Heard a Parasitic Jaeger?

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