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

Surfbird

Calidris virgata

A robust, medium-sized sandpiper uniquely specialized for life on rocky ocean shorelines and high-altitude alpine breeding grounds.

What it sounds like

A sharp, whistled 'skree-uh' or 'wick-it', and a low, liquid 'p-twee' during flight.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Patrik Åberg · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Nests in high-elevation rocky tundra above the treeline in Alaska and the Yukon, far from the coast.
The first Surfbird nest was not discovered by ornithologists until 1926 due to its remote, mountainous breeding sites.
Equipped with a short, stout bill and a yellowish base, it is physically adapted to pry barnacles and limpets from wave-swept rocks.
Formerly categorized in its own genus, Aphriza, recent DNA analysis moved the species into the Calidris genus.
During migration, it follows one of the longest routes of any North American bird, traveling from Alaska to the southern tip of South America.

Habitat

Rocky intertidal zones and coastal reefs during winter; alpine tundra and mountain ridges during the breeding season.

Range

Breeds in Alaska and northwest Canada; winters along the Pacific coast from southern Alaska to southern Chile.

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 Surfbird?

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