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

Westland Petrel

Procellaria westlandica

The Westland Petrel is a large, vulnerable burrowing seabird and the largest of its genus, notable for being one of the few petrels to breed during the austral winter. It is endemic to a small stretch of forested coastline on the South Island of New Zealand.

What it sounds like

A loud and rhythmic series of staccato cackles, harsh wheezes, and guttural clucking sounds performed at the colony.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. David Boyle · New ZealandCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is one of the only remaining mainland-breeding petrels in New Zealand, nesting in burrows under dense temperate rainforest canopy.
The species breeds during the winter months, with chicks fledging in late spring to early summer when food is most abundant.
They are highly susceptible to light pollution, which can cause 'fallout' where disoriented birds crash-land in urban areas.
Adults are long-lived and typically monogamous, returning to the same 1–2 meter deep burrow year after year.
While foraging, they are known to follow fishing vessels across the South Pacific, sometimes traveling as far as the coast of South America.

Habitat

Pelagic open ocean for foraging; steep, densely forested coastal hillsides for nesting.

Range

Breeds exclusively near Punakaiki, New Zealand; ranges throughout the South Pacific from Australia to Chile.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Gray PetrelProcellaria cinerea Parkinson's PetrelProcellaria parkinsoni Spectacled PetrelProcellaria conspicillata Spectacled PetrelProcellaria conspicillata Westland PetrelProcellaria westlandica White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialis

Heard a Westland Petrel?

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