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

Salvin's Albatross

Thalassarche salvini

Salvin's Albatross is a large subantarctic mollymawk distinguished by its pale grey hood and uniquely colored bill. It is a colonial nester that spends most of its life foraging across the southern oceans.

What it sounds like

Generally silent at sea; at breeding sites, it emits raucous braying, harsh croaks, and rhythmic bill-clattering.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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

Field notes

Approximately 95% of the world's population breeds on the tiny, barren Bounty Islands of New Zealand.
The species was long considered a subspecies of the Shy Albatross before being recognized as a distinct species.
Their bills are a pale grey-green with a prominent yellow ridge and a diagnostic dark spot on the tip of the lower mandible.
Unlike many albatrosses that use mud and grass, they often nest on bare rock ledges due to the lack of vegetation in their breeding range.
They are high-risk victims of commercial fishing bycatch, frequently following longline and trawl vessels across the Humboldt Current.

Habitat

Pelagic open oceans and remote, rocky subantarctic islands.

Range

Southern Ocean, ranging from New Zealand and Australia eastward to the coast of South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Atlantic Yellow-nosed AlbatrossThalassarche chlororhynchos Black-browed AlbatrossThalassarche melanophris Buller's AlbatrossThalassarche bulleri Chatham AlbatrossThalassarche eremita Gray-headed AlbatrossThalassarche chrysostoma Indian Yellow-nosed AlbatrossThalassarche carteri White-capped AlbatrossThalassarche cauta

Heard a Salvin's Albatross?

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