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

White-headed Woodpecker

Leuconotopicus albolarvatus

The White-headed Woodpecker is a striking montane bird easily identified by its snowy white head contrasted against a completely black body.

What it sounds like

A sharp, high-pitched 'peek' or 'pit-it', accompanied by a short, rapid, even drum.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:54

Rec. Greg Irving · United StatesCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is the only North American woodpecker with a white head and an entirely black body.
Highly specialized diet focused on pine seeds, particularly from Ponderosa and Sugar pines.
Unlike many woodpeckers, it frequently pokes and pries bark rather than drilling deep into wood.
While both parents incubate eggs, the male exclusively handles the night shift in the nest cavity.
They are weak excavators and prefer to nest in snags with advanced decay to accommodate their smaller bills.

Habitat

Open montane coniferous forests dominated by large-seeded pines.

Range

Mountains of the Pacific West, from southern British Columbia through the Sierras to southern California.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Arizona WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus arizonae Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus Red-cockaded WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus borealis Smoky-brown WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus fumigatus Strickland's WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus stricklandi

Heard a White-headed Woodpecker?

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