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

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

A medium-sized shorebird characterized by a distinctive, sharp demarcation between its heavily streaked breast and white underparts.

What it sounds like

A low, raspy 'kriek' or 'churrk' call; males also produce hollow, rhythmic hooting during aerial displays.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · BrazilCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Males possess an expandable throat sac that they inflate to produce resonant, hooting sounds during courtship displays.
The species follows a polygynous mating system where males compete for territories and multiple mates, providing no parental care.
Unlike many other sandpipers, it prefers grassy wet meadows and freshwater marshes over open coastal mudflats.
It is a long-distance migrant, with some populations traveling from Arctic breeding grounds to the Southern Hemisphere in a single season.
Field identification is aided by its yellowish-green legs and a slightly decurved bill with a pale base.

Habitat

Arctic tundra during breeding; wet meadows, flooded fields, and freshwater marshes during migration and winter.

Range

Breeds in Arctic Siberia and North America; winters primarily in South America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdii Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellus Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollis Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferruginea DunlinCalidris alpina Great KnotCalidris tenuirostris Least SandpiperCalidris minutilla Little StintCalidris minuta

Heard a Pectoral Sandpiper?

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Identify a bird by its song