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

Sooty Gull

Ichthyaetus hemprichii

A medium-sized, distinctive dark gull native to the northwestern Indian Ocean, characterized by its chocolate-brown plumage and contrasting white collar.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, nasal 'kyow' and various laughing 'ka-ka-ka' vocalizations typical of the Laridae family.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Christian Kerihuel · OmanCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is a generalist scavenger and predator, frequently preying on newly hatched green sea turtles on nesting beaches.
The species is named after Wilhelm Hemprich, a German naturalist who died while exploring the Red Sea region.
Its striking bill is pale greenish-yellow with a distinct black band and a bright red tip.
Unlike many migratory gulls, the Sooty Gull is largely sedentary, performing only short-distance dispersive movements after breeding.
They prefer to nest in loose colonies on offshore islands, often utilizing the shade of halophytic plants to protect eggs from the sun.

Habitat

Coastal shorelines, sandy beaches, coral reefs, and offshore islands.

Range

Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, and the East African coastline south to Mozambique.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Audouin's GullIchthyaetus audouinii Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus Pallas's GullIchthyaetus ichthyaetus Relict GullIchthyaetus relictus White-eyed GullIchthyaetus leucophthalmus

Heard a Sooty Gull?

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