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

Wattled Crane

Grus carunculatus

The Wattled Crane is Africa's largest and rarest crane, characterized by its impressive height and unique white-feathered wattles hanging from the throat. It is a highly specialized wetland species that serves as a critical indicator for the ecological health of major African floodplains.

What it sounds like

A high-pitched, resonant, and guttural bugling 'kwaarnk' that is more shrill than the calls of other African cranes.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the tallest crane species in Africa, standing up to 175 centimeters (5.7 feet) tall.
The distinctive wattles are skin flaps that can elongate when the bird is excited, aggressive, or performing courtship displays.
Wattled Cranes have the lowest reproductive rate of any crane, typically raising only one chick every one to two years.
Their diet is highly specialized toward the tubers and rhizomes of aquatic vegetation, particularly the spike-rush Eleocharis.
Unlike many other crane species, they are largely non-migratory, moving only locally in response to seasonal flooding patterns.

Habitat

Large, undisturbed permanent wetlands, seasonally flooded marshes, and high-altitude dambos.

Range

Sub-Saharan Africa, with core populations in the Okavango Delta, Kafue Flats, and the Ethiopian Highlands.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Black-necked CraneGrus nigricollis Blue CraneGrus paradiseus Common CraneGrus grus Demoiselle CraneGrus virgo Hooded CraneGrus monacha Red-crowned CraneGrus japonensis Whooping CraneGrus americana

Heard a Wattled Crane?

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