The most photographed group

Bird identifier

A bird never poses twice. That's why you identify it from a photo, not from a book.

Classic identification keys ask you to remember bill length, rump colour and wing pattern — while the bird flies off. SafaRoll works the other way round: you shoot, and the species name lands. The model is trained on the tree of life; it doesn't stop at "a passerine".

177 species4 min read
Download on theApp Store
In brief

How do you identify a bird from a photo?

Identifying a bird from a photo means comparing the image against a model trained on millions of annotated pictures, rather than working through an identification key. SafaRoll uses BioCLIP 2.5, a vision-language model trained on TreeOfLife, the largest open annotated biological image dataset. It returns a species name — Alcedo atthis — not a broader rank like "kingfisher". The photo does not need to be perfect: a bird in profile, even backlit or slightly blurred, is usually enough. Identification runs in about one second on a server kept warm, with no queue. SafaRoll's catalogue holds 177 birds, from house sparrow to common kingfisher, each with its rarity tier and its collectible card.

When to use it
  • 01.

    At a feeder, when an unknown visitor drops in.

  • 02.

    On a walk, on a bird perched too far for binoculars.

  • 03.

    On an old holiday photo whose species you never knew.

177 species · birds

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

Common

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus

Common

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

Common

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

Common

Rock Pigeon

Columba livia

Common

Feral Pigeon

Columba livia domestica

Common

Great Egret

Ardea alba

Common

European Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Common

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

Common

Eurasian Blackbird

Turdus merula

Common

Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea

Common

Great Tit

Parus major

Common

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

Common

American Crow

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Common

Downy Woodpecker

Dryobates pubescens

Common

Double-crested Cormorant

Nannopterum auritum

Common

Common Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

Common

Blue Jay

Cyanocitta cristata

Common

Wild Turkey

Meleagris gallopavo

Common

American Goldfinch

Spinus tristis

Common

European Robin

Erithacus rubecula

Common

Common Raven

Corvus corax

Common

Mute Swan

Cygnus olor

Common

Common Wood-Pigeon

Columba palumbus

Common

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Common

Eurasian Magpie

Pica pica

Common

Snowy Egret

Egretta thula

Common

Eurasian Collared-Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Common

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Common

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Common

Northern Flicker

Colaptes auratus

Common

Eurasian Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Common

Eastern Bluebird

Sialia sialis

Common

Brown Pelican

Pelecanus occidentalis

Common

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Common

Domestic Chicken

Gallus gallus domesticus

Common

Rainbow Lorikeet

Trichoglossus moluccanus

Common

Eurasian Green Woodpecker

Picus viridis

Common

Western House Martin

Delichon urbicum

Common

Laughing Dove

Spilopelia senegalensis

Common

Crimson Rosella

Platycercus elegans

Common

Bonaparte's Gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Common

Brambling

Fringilla montifringilla

Common

Clay-colored Thrush

Turdus grayi

Common

Western Carrion Crow

Corvus corone corone

Common

Domestic Greylag Goose

Anser anser domesticus

Common

Whooper Swan

Cygnus cygnus

Common

Spotless Starling

Sturnus unicolor

Common

Italian Sparrow

Passer italiae

Common

Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

Aphelocoma woodhouseii

Common

Leaden Flycatcher

Myiagra rubecula

Common

Domestic Canary

Serinus canaria domesticus

Common

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Uncommon

Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

Uncommon

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Uncommon

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Uncommon

Hooded Crow

Corvus cornix

Uncommon

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Melanerpes carolinus

Uncommon

Eurasian Kestrel

Falco tinnunculus

Uncommon

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Uncommon

Green Heron

Butorides virescens

Uncommon

Little Egret

Egretta garzetta

Uncommon

Common Moorhen

Gallinula chloropus

Uncommon

Anna's Hummingbird

Calypte anna

Uncommon

Wood Duck

Aix sponsa

Uncommon

Gadwall

Mareca strepera

Uncommon

Carrion Crow

Corvus corone

Uncommon

Lesser Goldfinch

Spinus psaltria

Uncommon

Eurasian Jay

Garrulus glandarius

Uncommon

White-winged Dove

Zenaida asiatica

Uncommon

Greylag Goose

Anser anser

Uncommon

Western Cattle-Egret

Ardea ibis

Uncommon

Laughing Gull

Leucophaeus atricilla

Uncommon

White Ibis

Eudocimus albus

Uncommon

Muscovy Duck

Cairina moschata

Uncommon

Tufted Titmouse

Baeolophus bicolor

Uncommon

American Herring Gull

Larus smithsonianus

Uncommon

Pileated Woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatus

Uncommon

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubris

Uncommon

Tree Swallow

Tachycineta bicolor

Uncommon

Belted Kingfisher

Megaceryle alcyon

Uncommon

American White Pelican

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Uncommon

Sandhill Crane

Antigone canadensis

Uncommon

White Stork

Ciconia ciconia

Uncommon

European Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

Uncommon

Sanderling

Calidris alba

Uncommon

American Wigeon

Mareca americana

Uncommon

Barred Owl

Strix varia

Uncommon

Hairy Woodpecker

Leuconotopicus villosus

Uncommon

Western Gull

Larus occidentalis

Uncommon

Little Blue Heron

Egretta caerulea

Uncommon

California Scrub-Jay

Aphelocoma californica

Uncommon

Yellow-legged Gull

Larus michahellis

Uncommon

Ring-necked Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Uncommon

Carolina Chickadee

Poecile carolinensis

Uncommon

Western Bluebird

Sialia mexicana

Uncommon

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Uncommon

Neotropic Cormorant

Nannopterum brasilianum

Uncommon

Least Sandpiper

Calidris minutilla

Uncommon

Northern Pintail

Anas acuta

Uncommon

Acorn Woodpecker

Melanerpes formicivorus

Uncommon

Common Tern

Sterna hirundo

Uncommon

Crested Caracara

Caracara plancus

Uncommon

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Larus fuscus

Uncommon

Common Kingfisher

Alcedo atthis

Uncommon

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus varius

Uncommon

Spotted Dove

Spilopelia chinensis

Uncommon

Steller's Jay

Cyanocitta stelleri

Uncommon

Tricolored Heron

Egretta tricolor

Uncommon

Rook

Corvus frugilegus

Uncommon

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Dendrocygna autumnalis

Uncommon

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

Uncommon

Common Hoopoe

Upupa epops

Uncommon

European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

Uncommon

Common Cuckoo

Cuculus canorus

Uncommon

Eastern Cattle-Egret

Ardea coromanda

Uncommon

Australian Pelican

Pelecanus conspicillatus

Uncommon

Tawny Owl

Strix aluco

Uncommon

Brandt's Cormorant

Urile penicillatus

Uncommon

Gray Partridge

Perdix perdix

Uncommon

Common Ostrich

Struthio camelus

Uncommon

Emu

Dromaius novaehollandiae

Uncommon

Keel-billed Toucan

Ramphastos sulfuratus

Uncommon

Andean Condor

Vultur gryphus

Uncommon

Western Barn Owl

Tyto alba

Uncommon

Black-browed Albatross

Thalassarche melanophris

Uncommon

Pheasant Coucal

Centropus phasianinus

Uncommon

Gray Parrot

Psittacus erithacus

Uncommon

North Island Brown Kiwi

Apteryx mantelli

Uncommon

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

Rare

Red Junglefowl

Gallus gallus

Rare

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Rare

Dunlin

Calidris alpina

Rare

Trumpeter Swan

Cygnus buccinator

Rare

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

Rare

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

Rare

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameri

Rare

Coal Tit

Periparus ater

Rare

Great Black-backed Gull

Larus marinus

Rare

Caspian Tern

Hydroprogne caspia

Rare

Common Gull

Larus canus

Rare

Loggerhead Shrike

Lanius ludovicianus

Rare

Greater Roadrunner

Geococcyx californianus

Rare

Black-billed Magpie

Pica hudsonia

Rare

Silver Gull

Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

Rare

Common Crane

Grus grus

Rare

Golden-fronted Woodpecker

Melanerpes aurifrons

Rare

Roseate Spoonbill

Platalea ajaja

Rare

Eared Dove

Zenaida auriculata

Rare

Merlin

Falco columbarius

Rare

Boat-tailed Grackle

Quiscalus major

Rare

Glossy Ibis

Plegadis falcinellus

Rare

White-faced Ibis

Plegadis chihi

Rare

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifrons

Rare

Black Swan

Cygnus atratus

Rare

Snow Goose

Anser caerulescens

Rare

Kelp Gull

Larus dominicanus

Rare

White-faced Heron

Egretta novaehollandiae

Rare

Cliff Swallow

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Rare

Australian Wood Duck

Chenonetta jubata

Rare

Red-headed Woodpecker

Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Rare

Little Pied Cormorant

Microcarbo melanoleucos

Rare

Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arctica

Rare

African Sacred Ibis

Threskiornis aethiopicus

Rare

Black Stork

Ciconia nigra

Rare

Bearded Vulture

Gypaetus barbatus

Rare

Gray Crowned-Crane

Balearica regulorum

Rare

Maguari Stork

Ciconia maguari

Rare

Rhinoceros Hornbill

Buceros rhinoceros

Rare

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

Very rare

Eurasian Griffon

Gyps fulvus

Very rare

Emperor Penguin

Aptenodytes forsteri

Very rare

Ascension Frigatebird

Fregata aquila

Very rare

Indian Peafowl

Pavo cristatus

Legendary

Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseus

Legendary

Golden Eagle

Aquila chrysaetos

Legendary

Snowy Owl

Bubo scandiacus

Legendary
Frequently asked

What people often ask

No. A bird in profile, even slightly blurred or backlit, is identified in most cases. What matters most is having the whole silhouette in frame: a close-up of the head alone performs worse than a whole bird shot from a distance.

The SafaRoll app — iOS

Identify birds from one photo.

SafaRoll names the species in a second and turns it into a collectible card. Free, unlimited identification, no ads.

Download on theApp Store

Free · iPhone · Unlimited identification