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

Wilson's Storm-Petrel

Oceanites oceanicus

A small, soot-colored pelagic bird characterized by a prominent white rump and a unique habit of 'walking' on the ocean surface while foraging.

What it sounds like

Generally silent at sea; at nesting colonies, it produces raspy, rhythmic chattering and soft, repetitive 'gr-gr-gr' vocalizations.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Fabrice Schmitt · ChileCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

It is one of the most numerous bird species on Earth, with a population estimated in the tens of millions.
The species performs 'pattering,' using its yellow-webbed feet to strike the water surface while hovering to stir up plankton.
Despite its small size, it undertakes a massive transequatorial migration from Antarctic breeding grounds to the North Atlantic and Pacific.
It possesses a highly developed olfactory sense, allowing it to locate food sources like krill by smelling dimethyl sulfide emissions.
The bird is named after Alexander Wilson, the 'Father of American Ornithology,' who first described the species.

Habitat

Pelagic open oceans; nests on rocky crevices and ice-free cliffs of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands.

Range

Global maritime distribution, breeding in the Southern Ocean and migrating to all major oceans except the Arctic.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Elliot's Storm-PetrelOceanites gracilis Pincoya Storm-PetrelOceanites pincoyae

Heard a Wilson's Storm-Petrel?

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