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

Red-crested Pochard

Netta rufina

A large, distinctive diving duck notable for the male's bulbous orange head and bright red bill, often bridging the behavioral gap between diving and dabbling ducks.

What it sounds like

Generally silent outside of breeding; males produce a wheezy, raspy whistle, while females give a harsh, grating 'karr' or 'kurr' call.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Jarek Matusiak · PolandCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

The male's 'puffy' golden-orange crest is structurally unique, giving the head a disproportionately large and rounded appearance during displays.
Unlike most diving ducks, they frequently feed by up-ending in shallow water to reach submerged macrophytes.
They exhibit a rare 'courtship feeding' behavior where the male dives for aquatic vegetation and presents it to the female.
Their legs are positioned further forward on the body than other Netta species, allowing them to walk on land with more ease than typical pochards.
While native to southern Europe and Central Asia, naturalized populations have become firmly established in the United Kingdom and Western Europe.

Habitat

Large, relatively deep freshwater lakes and brackish lagoons with abundant submerged aquatic vegetation.

Range

Breeds from southern Europe and North Africa across Central Asia to Mongolia; winters in the Mediterranean and Indian subcontinent.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Rosy-billed PochardNetta peposaca Southern PochardNetta erythrophthalma

Heard a Red-crested Pochard?

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