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

Yellow-billed Stork

Mycteria ibis

A large, African wading bird distinguished by its long, down-curved yellow bill and white plumage with pinkish accents. It is a specialized tactile feeder often found in shallow freshwater ecosystems.

What it sounds like

Generally silent outside of the colony, but produces loud bill-clattering, hisses, and occasional croaks at the nest.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

0:00 / 0:39

Rec. Fernand DEROUSSEN · KenyaCC BY-NC-ND Xeno-canto

Field notes

Employs a 'foot-stirring' technique to disturb and flush out prey from the muddy bottom of water bodies.
Features one of the fastest snapping reflexes of any vertebrate, closing its bill in just 25 milliseconds upon contact with prey.
The bare skin on its face turns a vivid, deep red during the breeding season to attract mates.
They are highly social colonial nesters, often sharing tall trees with other species like herons and spoonbills.
Juveniles take approximately three years to transition from their dull greyish-brown plumage to the bright white of adults.

Habitat

Shallow freshwater wetlands, lakes, marshes, riverbanks, and seasonal floodplains.

Range

Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.

Similar & commonly confused birds

Milky StorkMycteria cinerea Painted StorkMycteria leucocephala Wood StorkMycteria americana

Heard a Yellow-billed Stork?

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Identify a bird by its song