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

Snowy Owl

Bubo scandiacus

The Snowy Owl is a large, diurnal raptor of the high Arctic, instantly recognizable by its brilliant white plumage and striking yellow eyes. It is one of the heaviest owl species in North America and is uniquely adapted for life in extreme cold.

What it sounds like

Low, powerful, booming hoots often repeated in series, and harsh, raspy barks.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Morioka Zoological Park ZOOMO · JapanCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Unlike most owls, Snowy Owls are diurnal and hunt during both day and night to take advantage of the Arctic's continuous summer sunlight.
They are highly dependent on lemming populations, with an individual adult capable of consuming over 1,600 of these rodents in a single year.
Male Snowy Owls become increasingly white as they age, while females and juveniles maintain more dense dark-brown barring for camouflage.
Their feet are heavily feathered to the tips of their talons, providing insulation and acting like snowshoes for walking on soft drifts.
During 'irruption' years, these birds migrate significantly further south than usual, occasionally appearing as far south as the Gulf Coast of the United States.

Habitat

Treeless Arctic tundra during breeding; open fields, coastal dunes, and airports during winter.

Range

Circumpolar Arctic breeding grounds; winters across northern and central North America and Eurasia.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Arabian Eagle-OwlBubo milesi Cape Eagle-OwlBubo capensis Eurasian Eagle-OwlBubo bubo Grayish Eagle-OwlBubo cinerascens Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus Lesser Horned OwlBubo magellanicus Pharaoh Eagle-OwlBubo ascalaphus Rock Eagle-OwlBubo bengalensis

Heard a Snowy Owl?

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