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 Knot

Calidris canutus

A robust, medium-sized shorebird famous for its extraordinary transcontinental migrations and vibrant rufous breeding plumage.

What it sounds like

A low, husky, monosyllabic 'knut' or a mellow, fluty 'quer-wer' given in flight.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Thierry THOMAS · FranceCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Undertakes annual migrations of up to 30,000 kilometers, traveling from the high Arctic to the southern tip of South America.
Crucially relies on mass-spawned horseshoe crab eggs at stopover sites like Delaware Bay to refuel during migration.
Physiologically adapts for long-haul flight by shrinking its gizzard and other digestive organs to reduce weight.
The rufa subspecies has experienced a 75% population decline since the 1980s, leading to a federally threatened status in the U.S.
Can nearly double its body mass at stopover points through hyperphagia, a period of intense feeding.

Habitat

Intertidal mudflats and sandy coastal beaches during migration; dry, rocky Arctic tundra during breeding.

Range

Global; breeds in the high Arctic and winters along the coastlines of South America, Africa, and Australasia.

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 Red Knot?

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