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

Surf Scoter

Melanitta perspicillata

A robust North American sea duck characterized by the male's striking black plumage, white head patches, and heavy, multi-colored bill. It is specialized for foraging in turbulent coastal surf zones where it dives for benthic invertebrates.

What it sounds like

Generally silent, but males produce low, liquid croaking or gurgling sounds during courtship and a distinct whistling sound is made by their wings in flight.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:05

Rec. Bruce Lagerquist · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

The adult male's unique head pattern has earned the species the colloquial nickname 'skunk-headed coot'.
They possess highly powerful gizzards capable of crushing thick-shelled mollusks and crustaceans, which they swallow whole.
Despite being sea ducks, they migrate far inland to the remote boreal forests of Canada and Alaska to nest in well-concealed spots under conifer branches.
The Surf Scoter is the only scoter species strictly endemic to North America.
During winter, they often form massive, dense flocks known as 'rafts' that can number in the thousands along rocky coastlines.

Habitat

Coastal marine waters and shallow estuaries during winter; freshwater lakes and wetlands within northern boreal forests during the breeding season.

Range

Breeds across Alaska and Northern Canada; winters along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts from the Aleutian Islands to Baja California and from Newfoundland to Florida.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black ScoterMelanitta americana Common ScoterMelanitta nigra Stejneger's ScoterMelanitta stejnegeri Velvet ScoterMelanitta fusca White-winged ScoterMelanitta deglandi

Heard a Surf Scoter?

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