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

Pied Avocet

Recurvirostra avosetta

The Pied Avocet is an elegant, black-and-white wading bird distinguished by its slender, upwardly curved bill and long, pale blue legs. It is a flagship species for wetland conservation, famously serving as the emblem for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

What it sounds like

A clear, liquid, and musical 'kluit-kluit' whistle, often rising in pitch when the bird is alarmed.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Bo Shunqi 薄顺奇 · ChinaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It employs a unique feeding technique called 'scything,' where it sweeps its recurved bill from side to side through shallow water to detect aquatic invertebrates.
The species was extirpated as a breeding bird in Britain in the 1840s but famously recolonized the Suffolk coast during World War II.
Avocet chicks are highly precocial, capable of walking and feeding themselves almost immediately after hatching.
They are semi-colonial nesters that aggressively defend their territories, often utilizing communal 'mobbing' to drive away aerial predators.
The distinctive black-and-white plumage provides surprisingly effective camouflage against the shimmering light and dark mud of their wetland habitats.

Habitat

Shallow brackish lagoons, saltpans, estuaries, and coastal mudflats with sparse vegetation.

Range

Temperate Europe and across Central Asia to China, with wintering populations in Africa and southern Asia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

American AvocetRecurvirostra americana Andean AvocetRecurvirostra andina Red-necked AvocetRecurvirostra novaehollandiae

Heard a Pied Avocet?

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