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

Ringed Storm-Petrel

Hydrobates hornbyi

A strikingly patterned pelagic seabird distinguished by its soft grey upperparts and a prominent dark breast band or 'collar'.

What it sounds like

Generally silent at sea; at nesting colonies, it emits high-pitched, rhythmic squeaks and rapid chattering trills.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 3:48

Rec. Cristian Pinto · ChileCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Its nesting sites remained a scientific mystery for over a century until colonies were discovered in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert in 2017.
It is the only storm-petrel species to feature a complete dark collar separating a white throat from a white belly.
The species nests up to 100 kilometers inland in natural cavities within salt crusts or under rocks in the desert.
It is largely endemic to the nutrient-rich, cold waters of the Humboldt Current off the western coast of South America.
Adults are strictly nocturnal when visiting inland breeding sites to avoid predation by gulls and raptors.

Habitat

Pelagic open ocean and hyper-arid desert plains.

Range

Southeastern Pacific Ocean, primarily off the coasts of Peru and Chile.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Ainley's Storm-PetrelHydrobates cheimomnestes Ashy Storm-PetrelHydrobates homochroa Band-rumped Storm-PetrelHydrobates castro Black Storm-PetrelHydrobates melania Cape Verde Storm-PetrelHydrobates jabejabe European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus Fork-tailed Storm-PetrelHydrobates furcatus Guadalupe Storm-PetrelHydrobates macrodactylus

Heard a Ringed Storm-Petrel?

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