The app provides four engaging methods to identify birds: answer simple questions about the bird's appearance and behavior, upload a photo, record the bird's song, or explore regional bird lists. This flexibility makes birding fun and accessible for everyone, from casual nature explorers to dedicated birders aiming to catalog every species they encounter.

Expert ID tips, range maps, photos, and sounds are integrated into Merlin to help you learn about different bird species and improve your bird identification skills. Each day, you can discover a new Bird of the Day, personalized to your location, which adds an exciting element of discovery to your outdoor outings.

The app also generates customized lists of birds that are likely to be found in your area or travel destinations, broadening your birding horizons. As you record sightings, you can keep track of your personal list, making it easy to monitor your progress and favorite species.

Underpinning Merlin’s advanced capabilities is machine learning technology, developed by Visipedia. This allows the app to recognize birds from photos and sound recordings with remarkable accuracy. Using extensive training data from millions of bird images and audio clips collected via eBird and the Macaulay Library, Merlin continually improves its identification precision.

Expert birders curate and annotate the sightings, sounds, and images, ensuring the app's results are reliable and scientifically grounded. This combination of AI and human expertise makes Merlin one of the most trusted bird identification tools available today.

Whether you're exploring birds in Mexico, Costa Rica, South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India, Australia, Korea, Japan, China, or beyond, Merlin offers themed bird packs containing detailed photos, songs, calls, and identification help. This extensive content helps users learn about diverse bird species and their habitats across the globe.

Designed with an intuitive interface, Merlin makes bird identification and learning straightforward. The app also allows you to download bird packs for offline use, enabling you to enjoy birding adventures even in remote areas without internet access. This ease of use encourages both casual users and serious birders to engage deeply with the natural world.

Using Merlin enriches your understanding and appreciation of birds, their behaviors, and habitats. The app’s educational features, combined with its reliable identification algorithms, make every outing interactive and rewarding. Many users enjoy the sense of achievement in correctly naming a bird or learning new species each day.

Developed by the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Merlin Bird ID benefits from the organization's mission to interpret and conserve Earth's biological diversity. The app’s free accessibility is made possible through support from members, supporters, and citizen scientists, reflecting a global commitment to bird conservation and education.

If you have a fascination with birds or simply want to enhance your outdoor experiences, Merlin Bird ID is an essential tool to carry in your pocket. With its advanced features, extensive content, and user-friendly design, it transforms the art of birding into an interactive journey. Next time you hear a melodic chirp or see a colorful bird flutter by, let Merlin Bird ID help you identify and learn more about the fascinating avian world around you.