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 Tern

Onychoprion fuscatus

A highly pelagic seabird of tropical oceans, the Sooty Tern is renowned for its ability to remain airborne for several years at a time without touching land or water.

What it sounds like

A loud, nasal, and rhythmic 'ker-wack-a-wack' or 'wide-a-wake'.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:55

Rec. Craig Robertson · AustraliaCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Commonly referred to as the 'Wide-awake' bird due to the incessant, piercing calls heard throughout the night at breeding colonies.
Unlike most seabirds, its plumage is not waterproof, meaning it must avoid landing on the ocean surface to prevent becoming waterlogged.
Juveniles typically remain at sea for 3 to 10 years after fledging before ever returning to land to breed.
It is capable of sleeping while in flight, utilizing short bursts of unihemispheric slow-wave sleep to maintain navigation.
Forages primarily by 'dipping' or snatching prey from the surface, often following predatory fish like tuna that drive schools of small fish upward.

Habitat

Pelagic tropical and subtropical waters; nests on remote sandy or coral islands and cays.

Range

Circumtropical distribution across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Aleutian TernOnychoprion aleuticus Bridled TernOnychoprion anaethetus Gray-backed TernOnychoprion lunatus

Heard a Sooty Tern?

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