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

Short-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus griseus

A medium-sized, stocky shorebird known for its distinctive 'sewing machine' feeding style on mudflats. It is famously difficult to distinguish from its Long-billed relative except by its mellow, triple-noted call.

What it sounds like

A rapid, mellow, three-syllable 'tu-tu-tu' or 'chu-chu-chu,' lacking the sharp, thin quality of the Long-billed Dowitcher's 'keek'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:04

Rec. Paul Driver · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Despite its name, its bill length overlaps significantly with the Long-billed Dowitcher, making vocalization the most reliable field mark.
It employs a rapid, vertical probing motion often described as a 'sewing machine' technique to find invertebrates in the substrate.
The species is divided into three subspecies—griseus, hendersoni, and caurinus—which show varying degrees of orange and spotting on their underparts.
Females often depart the breeding grounds several weeks before the males, leaving the fathers to provide the final stages of parental care.
The bill tip contains specialized nerve endings called Herbst corpuscles that allow the bird to detect pressure changes from prey in the mud.

Habitat

Coastal mudflats, salt marshes, and tidal lagoons during migration; breeds in northern muskeg and taiga bogs.

Range

Breeds across subarctic Alaska and Canada; winters along the coasts of the southern US, Central America, and northern South America.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Asian DowitcherLimnodromus semipalmatus Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceus

Heard a Short-billed Dowitcher?

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