Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab

Identify Birds You See & Hear

111K ratings
1813 reviews
#9 in free Reference
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Free

Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • December 11, 2013
  • August 24, 2026

Features

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot #1 for iPhone
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot #2 for iPhone
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot #3 for iPhone
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Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot #7 for iPhone
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About

Easily identify birds by sight or sound using advanced machine learning. Explore birds in your region, track your sightings, and learn about species with photos, sounds, and range maps. This free app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology helps build your birding skills.

Identify birds by photo
Identify birds by sound
Answer simple questions for ID
Explore birds by region
Track bird sightings
View range maps and photos
Bird of the Day feature
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What users say

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+1

What's New in Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab

4.1.1

August 24, 2026

What's new in 4.1: Sound ID is better at listening for birds, and now includes hundreds of new species in Central and South America, Australia, Asia, and Africa. Birds have different sounds throughout the year. Merlin now highlights seasonally relevant recordings, so you can learn how birds sound during breeding season, migration, and beyond. Nearby places now include photo thumbnails, making it easier to browse and recognize birding hotspots near you.

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Charts

Top Free

📊 9

Reference

The app has maintained its position at 9 recently.

Last updated on August 27, 2026.

Events

Read more about Global Big Day

Global Big Day

Join birding's biggest celebration this May 10th

May 10, 2025 May 11, 2025

Read more about Meet your Bird of the Day

Meet your Bird of the Day

A new bird each day, picked just for you!

Mar 13, 2025 Mar 31, 2025

Read more about Great Backyard Bird Count

Great Backyard Bird Count

Celebrate birds from February 14 - 17

Feb 14, 2025 Feb 18, 2025

User reviews

Really good but…

Love the app, my only complaint is that it won’t let me sign in or stay signed in, and i cannot use the Life List whatsoever because of it. I have made an account but when i can’t sign into it, the sign in option doesn’t go away even after putting my password in and everything. My other complaint is that the app can’t identify the Crimson Rosella for some reason?
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Skip email suddenly missing

I get enough spam email already, I don’t need to be in Cornell Labs mailing list

Great App, needs some tweaks

I use this app primarily on an iPad mini. It would be nice if the format was not limited to the iPhone layout. I would use it far more if the format matched the device; easier to see and read. It would also be nice to have a faster load/start so one can identify the bird in front of you rather than waiting for an app to load and wade through options by which time the bird is long gone.
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Great App

Love using the Merlin app for identifying birds. I do wish it could handle the water running sounds better. It makes identifying the water fowl a bit difficult but other than that a great app. I use it everyday.

Most beloved app I use

This is the most joy giving app that I have ever used and the one I recommend the most to friends. It doesn’t work well in certain places in the world but works great in the US.

Developer apps

Featured on

User experience

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Reported Bugs

5 issues

Sound ID not working in some cases

Bug

Inability to download bird packs due to storage issues

Bug

Repeated email confirmation requests

Bug

Incorrect bird identifications in certain locations

Bug

Inability to edit or delete past sightings

Bug

Requested Features

7 requests

Allow manual addition of birds to life list

Feature

Improve search functionality to find specific birds

Feature

Add more bird packs for underrepresented regions

Feature

Improve sound ID accuracy and reliability

Feature

Provide option to save recordings without location

Feature

Add more details and filters to bird information

Feature

Improve user interface for better navigation

Feature

FAQ

What does the Merlin Bird ID app do?

Merlin Bird ID is a free app that helps you identify birds you see or hear. It uses machine learning powered by a vast database of bird sightings, sounds, and photos from eBird. You can identify birds by uploading a photo, recording a sound, answering simple questions, or exploring birds in a specific region.

How accurate is the bird identification?

The app leverages machine learning trained on millions of photos and sounds collected by experienced birders. This, combined with curated data from eBird and the Macaulay Library, ensures highly accurate identification results. Expert birders contribute to the ongoing improvement of the identification algorithms.

Is Merlin Bird ID free to use?

Yes, Merlin Bird ID is offered for free by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This is made possible through the generosity of Cornell Lab members, supporters, and citizen-science contributors. While the core app is free, there might be optional in-app purchases for additional content or features.

What kind of information does the app provide about birds?

Beyond identification, the app offers expert ID tips, detailed range maps, high-quality photos, and bird songs and calls for numerous species worldwide. It also allows you to discover a new bird species daily and create customized lists of birds found in your location or travel destinations.

Can I use this app to track my bird sightings?

Yes, the app allows you to keep track of your sightings, helping you build a personal list of the birds you have successfully identified. This feature is useful for birdwatchers who want to document their encounters and monitor their progress in identifying different species.