macOS processes › iCloud and sync
What is bird on Mac?
bird is the iCloud Drive daemon. It syncs files in iCloud Drive, including your Desktop and Documents folders if you store them there, between your Mac and iCloud.
What it does
When you add or change a file in iCloud Drive, bird uploads it, and when another device changes one, bird brings it down. With Optimize Mac Storage on, it can remove local copies of files you haven't used recently and download them again when you open them. It works with fileproviderd, which presents those files in Finder.
Why it gets busy
- Uploading or downloading many files, or a few very large ones.
- Turning on Desktop & Documents Folders, which moves them into iCloud Drive.
- Folders that change constantly, like code projects with node_modules or build folders, stored in iCloud Drive.
- Catching up after a sync conflict or a long time offline.
Why is bird using so much CPU?
bird is busy uploading or downloading iCloud Drive files. Large files, many files, or folders that change constantly keep it working, so move those out of iCloud Drive.
Is it safe to quit?
macOS restarts it, and quitting mid-sync can leave files waiting longer to upload.
The real bird lives in /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iCloudDriveCore.framework. The name is odd, but the process is genuine.
How to calm it down
- Check progress in Finder. iCloud Drive shows a progress indicator in the sidebar and status icons on files still syncing.
- Move folders that change constantly, like code projects and virtual machines, out of iCloud Drive.
- If you don't need it, turn off Desktop & Documents Folders in System Settings › [your name] › iCloud › iCloud Drive. Your files stay in iCloud Drive and macOS creates new, empty Desktop and Documents folders, so move back what you need.
In SystemWatch
SystemWatch shows bird as iCloud sync instead of a puzzling name, and the website edition shows which files it has open while it uploads.
