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

Scripps's Murrelet

Synthliboramphus scrippsi

A small, pelagic alcid of the California Current, the Scripps's Murrelet is a secretive seabird known for its unique 'at-sea' chick-rearing strategy. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of Xantus's Murrelet before being recognized as a distinct species in 2012.

What it sounds like

A series of high-pitched, thin, metallic whistles and rapid, twittering staccato trills.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Matthew L. Brady · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Chicks are highly precocial, leaving the nest to swim into the open ocean with their parents just two nights after hatching.
Unlike most seabirds, parents do not feed their young at the nest; all chick growth occurs entirely at sea.
Adults are strictly nocturnal at breeding colonies, arriving and departing under the cover of darkness to avoid avian predators.
The species is a 'California Current endemic,' largely restricted to the nutrient-rich upwelling zones of the Pacific coast.
They are listed as a threatened species in California due to their small breeding range and high vulnerability to oil spills and invasive island predators.

Habitat

Pelagic waters and steep, rocky offshore islands with dense maritime scrub or deep crevices.

Range

Breeds on islands off Southern California and Baja California; disperses north to British Columbia during the non-breeding season.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Ancient MurreletSynthliboramphus antiquus Craveri's MurreletSynthliboramphus craveri Guadalupe MurreletSynthliboramphus hypoleucus Japanese MurreletSynthliboramphus wumizusume

Heard a Scripps's Murrelet?

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