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 Shearwater

Ardenna grisea

A medium-sized, dark seabird renowned for its record-breaking trans-equatorial migrations and exceptional diving capabilities. It is one of the most abundant seabird species, often seen in massive 'rafts' over the open ocean.

What it sounds like

Silent at sea; at colonies, it emits a series of loud, rhythmic, guttural croaks, wheezes, and high-pitched shrieks.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. David Boyle · New ZealandCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It undertakes an annual circular migration of up to 64,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) between the Southern and Northern Hemispheres.
Equipped with wings adapted for swimming, it can dive to depths of over 60 meters (200 feet) to catch fish and squid.
The species displays a 'silver-wing' effect due to pale underwing coverts that contrast sharply with its dark body in flight.
They breed in enormous subterranean colonies, occupying burrows dug into the soil of offshore islands.
Known traditionally as 'muttonbirds' in New Zealand, they are a significant cultural and food resource for the Māori people.

Habitat

Pelagic waters and open oceans, nesting on subantarctic and temperate offshore islands.

Range

Global distribution across the Atlantic and Pacific; breeds in the Southern Hemisphere and migrates to the North Pacific and North Atlantic.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Buller's ShearwaterArdenna bulleri Flesh-footed ShearwaterArdenna carneipes Great ShearwaterArdenna gravis Pink-footed ShearwaterArdenna creatopus Short-tailed ShearwaterArdenna tenuirostris Wedge-tailed ShearwaterArdenna pacifica

Heard a Sooty Shearwater?

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