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?

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Do I need an account or internet to identify a bird?

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Birdsong field guide

Tristan Moorhen

Gallinula nesiotis

The Tristan Moorhen was a small, nearly flightless rail endemic to the island of Tristan da Cunha that became extinct by the late 19th century. It was closely related to the Common Moorhen but evolved shorter wings and a stouter body in its isolated environment.

What it sounds like

Described as a series of harsh, croaking notes similar to the 'kurruk' of a Common Moorhen.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

The species was morphologically distinct from the Gough Moorhen, featuring a more robust bill and different wing proportions.
Extinction was driven by the combined pressure of introduced predators, specifically rats and cats, and over-hunting by islanders.
Though it possessed wings, it was described by early naturalists as being almost entirely terrestrial and unable to sustain flight.
Genetic analysis of museum skins has confirmed that it was a distinct species from the extant Gough Moorhen (Gallinula comeri).
Only a few physical specimens exist today, with most residing in the Natural History Museum at Tring and the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Habitat

Fern-bush communities and marshy lowland areas.

Range

Endemic to Tristan da Cunha, South Atlantic Ocean.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Common GallinuleGallinula galeata Dusky MoorhenGallinula tenebrosa Eurasian MoorhenGallinula chloropus Gough MoorhenGallinula comeri Makira MoorhenGallinula silvestris Samoan MoorhenGallinula pacifica

Heard a Tristan Moorhen?

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