Why We Built Perch
Bird identification is one of those skills that seems impossible at first — hundreds of species, subtle differences, and lighting that never cooperates. But with consistent practice, your brain starts to pick up on the patterns: the silhouette of a Red-tailed Hawk soaring overhead, the flash of yellow on a Common Yellowthroat, the way a nuthatch creeps headfirst down a tree trunk.
Perch was built to make that practice easy and accessible. No accounts, no subscriptions — just open it up and start identifying birds.
How It Works
Perch shows you real photographs of North American birds and asks you to identify the species. You can:
- Practice by group — Focus on raptors, waterfowl, warblers, or any of the other taxonomic groups.
- Track your progress — See which species you're nailing and which ones still trip you up.
- Adjust difficulty — Choose between multiple-choice and free-recall modes depending on your confidence level.
All images come from the NABirds dataset, a collection of over 48,000 photographs contributed by birders and researchers across North America.
What's Next
We're just getting started. In the coming weeks we'll be adding audio identification challenges, expanding the species library, and building features that help you prepare for specific birding trips.
Happy birding!