Merlin Bird ID: The Phone App Every Backyard Birder Needs

It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a seasoned birdwatcher; using technology can be helpful for any backyard birder. One of my favorite tools is one that I can carry with me wherever I go, Merlin Bird ID. Let’s dive into why you want to add this tool to your birdwatching toolbox.

What is Merlin Bird ID?

Merlin Bird ID, developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is a free mobile application for iOS and Android devices. It assists you in identifying bird species accurately. The app harnesses the power of artificial intelligence and a vast bird database to provide birdwatchers with real-time bird identification help. You can identify birds by sight and by sound. You can even see if you have found a rare or uncommon bird based on location and season. Let’s jump into the basics of how to use the app. Check out this video.

How does Merlin Bird ID identify birds?

Merlin Bird ID has four basic ways to help you identify birds in your backyard. There is a question-based identification method, a photo identification method, a sound identification method, and a reference guide identification method.

Start Bird ID (Question-based identification)

The first way to identify a bird is to start a Bird ID. It is a few questions. The questions go like this.

1. Where did you see the bird?
2. When did you see the bird?
3. What size was the bird?
4. What were the main colors?
5. Was the bird…?

Once you answer these questions, the app creates a list of possible birds that match your answers. Once you find your bird, tag it as the one you saw.

Photo ID

The second way to identify a bird is to take a photo and let the app analyze it. 

1. Start by clicking photo ID and choose a picture you have already taken or take one then. 
2. Once you load the pic, zoom in on the bird. 
3. You then confirm your location and date and click identify. 

A list of possible matches will appear. Find your bird and tag it.

Sound ID

The third way to identify a bird is by sound. Merlin Bird ID can recognize a bird’s calls and songs. My favorite way to identify birds is by Sound ID. 

1. Choose Sound ID and press record.  
2. As it listens, you will see a list of birds it hears. 

Find your bird by matching the calls and songs in the list to what you hear. When you identify your bird, tag it.

Explore Birds

The last way to identify birds that can open your eyes to the possibilities of what birds are out there is to use Explore Birds. Choose your location and the date, and the app will list the birds you may see. Select the bird for more information, like photos, sounds, and a map showing their locations and movements during migration.

You understand the basics of Merlin Bird ID. Let’s talk about some tips and tricks on how to use it.

9 Tips on using Merlin Bird ID

1. The best time to get the most birds in a Sound ID is in the morning. I start recording and put my phone on my back deck while I grab my coffee. 
2. If you want to hear an owl, go out at night. Sound ID can identify them without you seeing them. It also works on other nighttime birds.
3. A window feeder is a great way to position yourself to take pictures of birds for a Photo ID.
4. Don’t limit yourself to the backyard. Merlin Bird ID is great to use anywhere. I have used it in the parking lot at work to identify hawks in nearby trees. 
5. You can use Photo ID to identify birds in photos on another device. I have used Photo ID to identify a bird by taking a picture of the bird on another person’s phone. 
6. I use Merlin Bird ID while fishing to identify the local birds around the pond. I start a recording and set the phone down on my tackle box. 
7. I used Sound ID while at the zoo in the aviary. If you have the bird packs from other areas installed, you can start identifying what you hear. Of course, don’t mark that you found that bird in the area.
8. Use Explore Birds to listen to bird calls and songs. You will start recognizing them on your own. 
9. Get others to use the app as an introduction to birdwatching. You will find that there are plenty of people who enjoy birds and will share what they see and hear with you.