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

Spoon-billed Sandpiper

Calidris pygmaea

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a critically endangered small wader instantly recognizable by its unique, spatula-shaped bill. It serves as a flagship species for the conservation of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

What it sounds like

A soft, rolling 'preer' or a sharp 'wheet' in flight; breeding males produce a buzzing, ascending trill.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Jens Kirkeby · Russian FederationCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

The specialized spoon-shaped bill is used to lateral-sweep through shallow water to filter out tiny invertebrates.
It undergoes an arduous 8,000 km migration from Arctic breeding grounds to tropical Southeast Asian wintering sites.
The wild population is critically low, with estimates suggesting fewer than 250 breeding pairs remain.
Chicks are precocial and are born with the characteristic spatulate bill shape already clearly visible.
The species is highly dependent on specific intertidal stopover sites like the Yellow Sea for refueling during migration.

Habitat

Coastal tundra with crowberry and lichen for breeding; intertidal mudflats, lagoons, and salt pans for wintering.

Range

Breeds in Far Eastern Russia; winters in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand, and China.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdii Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellus Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollis Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferruginea DunlinCalidris alpina Great KnotCalidris tenuirostris Least SandpiperCalidris minutilla Little StintCalidris minuta

Heard a Spoon-billed Sandpiper?

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Identify a bird by its song