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

Roseate Spoonbill

Platalea ajaja

A large, gregarious wading bird distinguished by its brilliant pink plumage and unique spatula-shaped bill used for tactile foraging. It is the only spoonbill species native to the Americas.

What it sounds like

Typically silent, but produces low, guttural grunts or croaks during nesting and social interactions.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Manuel Grosselet · MexicoCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Its vibrant pink coloration is derived from carotenoid pigments in the crustaceans it consumes, similar to flamingos.
The bill contains highly sensitive nerve endings that allow the bird to detect prey by touch in murky water through a side-to-side sweeping motion.
Unlike herons, which fly with their necks tucked, the Roseate Spoonbill flies with its neck fully extended.
Juvenile birds are born with pale pink feathers and a feathered head, only gaining the signature bald crown and deep magenta patches as they mature.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the species was nearly hunted to extinction for its feathers, which were used in the millinery trade.

Habitat

Shallow freshwater, brackish, and marine wetlands, including mangrove swamps, forested marshes, and coastal lagoons.

Range

Resident from the Gulf Coast of the United States and Florida through the Caribbean, Central America, and South America to Argentina.

Similar & commonly confused birds

African SpoonbillPlatalea alba Black-faced SpoonbillPlatalea minor Eurasian SpoonbillPlatalea leucorodia Royal SpoonbillPlatalea regia Yellow-billed SpoonbillPlatalea flavipes

Heard a Roseate Spoonbill?

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