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

Townsend's Storm-Petrel

Hydrobates socorroensis

A small, elusive pelagic seabird of the eastern Pacific, formerly considered a subspecies of Leach’s Storm-Petrel before being elevated to species status.

What it sounds like

A rhythmic series of high-pitched, squeaky chatters and staccato notes, often sounding more shrill than the typical Leach's Storm-Petrel.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It breeds almost exclusively on the San Benito Islands off the Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico.
The species exhibits a split breeding phenology, with distinct 'summer' and 'winter' breeding populations on the same islands.
Individuals are polymorphic in rump color, ranging from those with a prominent white patch to those with entirely dark plumage.
It is primarily differentiated from the similar Leach's Storm-Petrel by its smaller size and higher-pitched vocalizations.
Townsend's Storm-Petrels are highly pelagic, spending their entire lives at sea except for nocturnal visits to nesting burrows.

Habitat

Open ocean (pelagic); nests in rocky crevices or burrows on arid offshore islands.

Range

Eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from the Southern California Bight south to the waters off Baja California.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Ainley's Storm-PetrelHydrobates cheimomnestes Ashy Storm-PetrelHydrobates homochroa Band-rumped Storm-PetrelHydrobates castro Black Storm-PetrelHydrobates melania Cape Verde Storm-PetrelHydrobates jabejabe European Storm-PetrelHydrobates pelagicus Fork-tailed Storm-PetrelHydrobates furcatus Guadalupe Storm-PetrelHydrobates macrodactylus

Heard a Townsend's Storm-Petrel?

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