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

Slender-billed Curlew

Numenius tenuirostris

A critically endangered and possibly extinct shorebird characterized by its exceptionally slender bill and distinctive heart-shaped flank markings.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, musical 'cour-ly' or 'kwee,' similar to the Eurasian Curlew but shorter and thinner in tone.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Adam Gretton · MoroccoCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is among the rarest birds in the world, with no universally accepted confirmed sightings since the mid-1990s.
The species features diagnostic heart-shaped or teardrop-shaped spots on its flanks rather than the streaks seen on similar curlews.
Its only known breeding grounds were discovered in 1914 in the marshy taiga of south-central Siberia near Tara.
The migration route historically spanned from Siberia through South-Eastern Europe to wintering sites in the Mediterranean and North Africa.
Recent intensive searches using environmental DNA and satellite imaging have so far failed to relocate a remnant population.

Habitat

Marshy taiga bogs for breeding; coastal lagoons, salt marshes, and inland steppe wetlands during winter.

Range

Palearctic; historically breeding in Siberia and wintering in the Mediterranean Basin and North Africa.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Bristle-thighed CurlewNumenius tahitiensis Eskimo CurlewNumenius borealis Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquata Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus Far Eastern CurlewNumenius madagascariensis Hudsonian WhimbrelNumenius hudsonicus Little CurlewNumenius minutus Long-billed CurlewNumenius americanus

Heard a Slender-billed Curlew?

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