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 Oystercatcher

Haematopus longirostris

A large, unmistakable shorebird of the Australian coastline, easily identified by its bold black-and-white plumage and long, bright orange-red bill.

What it sounds like

A loud, piercing 'kleep-kleep' or a rapid, high-pitched piping trill used during territorial displays.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Romuald Mikusek · AustraliaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

They use their laterally compressed bills to either 'stab' open the muscles of bivalves or 'hammer' through their shells.
Unlike many other oystercatcher species, the Pied Oystercatcher is strictly coastal and rarely found in inland environments.
Pairs are predominantly monogamous and maintain long-term territories, often returning to the same nesting site for years.
Their distinctive orange-red eye-ring and bill color can intensify during the peak of the breeding season.
They are listed as a threatened species in several Australian states due to habitat loss and high levels of disturbance on nesting beaches.

Habitat

Sandy beaches, intertidal mudflats, estuaries, and occasionally rocky reefs.

Range

The entire coastline of Australia, including Tasmania and parts of southern New Guinea.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African OystercatcherHaematopus moquini American OystercatcherHaematopus palliatus Black OystercatcherHaematopus bachmani Blackish OystercatcherHaematopus ater Canarian OystercatcherHaematopus meadewaldoi Chatham Islands OystercatcherHaematopus chathamensis Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus Magellanic OystercatcherHaematopus leucopodus

Heard a Pied Oystercatcher?

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