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-legged Gull

Larus michahellis

A large, powerful gull of the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, distinguished from similar species by its bright yellow legs and deep grey mantle.

What it sounds like

A deep, resonant, nasal 'laughing' long call, typically lower-pitched and more raucous than that of the Herring Gull.

Reference call, compare with what you heard

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Rec. Christian Bøggild · SpainCC BY-NC-SA Xeno-canto

Field notes

Identified as a separate species from the Herring Gull and Caspian Gull due to distinct mitochondrial DNA and vocalizations.
Adults possess a prominent red spot on the lower mandible, which serves as a targeting point for chicks during feeding.
The species has significantly expanded its range inland, now frequently nesting on city rooftops and foraging in landfills.
It takes four years to reach maturity, undergoing a complex series of plumage changes from mottled brown to white and grey.
They are formidable predators and kleptoparasites, known to hunt smaller birds like storm-petrels and pigeons.

Habitat

Coastal cliffs, rocky islands, harbors, lagoons, and increasingly urban environments or inland lakes.

Range

Primarily the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Atlantic coasts of Europe, extending into Central and Western Europe.

Similar & commonly confused birds

American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus Armenian GullLarus armenicus Belcher's GullLarus belcheri Black-tailed GullLarus crassirostris California GullLarus californicus Caspian GullLarus cachinnans Common GullLarus canus European Herring GullLarus argentatus

Heard a Yellow-legged Gull?

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Identify a bird by its song