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

Spotted Crake

Porzana porzana

A small, elusive rail characterized by its intricately white-spotted brown plumage and short, red-based bill. It is a highly secretive marsh-dweller that is far more frequently heard than seen.

What it sounds like

A repetitive, rhythmic, and high-pitched 'whitt-whitt-whitt' that resembles the crack of a whip.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:39

Rec. Miroslav Jelinek · Czech RepublicCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

The species is primarily nocturnal and crepuscular during the breeding season to avoid predators.
Adults possess a distinctive yellow bill with a bright red patch at the base of the culmen.
Unlike the similar Water Rail, it has warm buff-colored undertail coverts without dark barring.
It is a long-distance migrant, with Western Palearctic populations wintering in East Africa and South Asia.
Chicks are precocial and covered in black down, often leaving the nest within 24 hours of hatching.

Habitat

Shallow freshwater wetlands, fens, and marshes dominated by sedges and emergent vegetation.

Range

Breeds across temperate Europe and Western Asia; winters in Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Australian CrakePorzana fluminea SoraPorzana carolina

Heard a Spotted Crake?

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