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Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab

Identify Birds You See & Hear

109K ratings
1679 reviews
#10 in free Reference
🌟 Lifestyle
🔍 Reference
Free

Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • December 11, 2013
  • July 13, 2026

Features

Developer

Cornell University
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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
Show original description

What users say

Summarized from real user reviews of Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab. Based on 109K reviews and a 4.9/5 average, it highlights the 9 positives and 7 negatives reviewers mention most about this Reference app.

Positive things

  • 🚀Helpful for bird identification
  • 🔒Accurate bird identification
  • 👍Easy to use
  • 👍Useful for beginners and experts
  • 👍Enjoyable and fun to use
  • 👍Comprehensive bird information
  • 👍Excellent sound identification feature
  • 👍Connects with eBird
  • 👍Free app with no ads

Negative things

  • 🐛Sound ID not always accurate
  • 🐛Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🐛Difficulty adding birds to life list
  • 🐛Limited bird packs for certain regions
  • 🐛Requires location access
  • 🐛High battery consumption
  • 🐛Confusing user interface in some areas
See all reviews

What's New in Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab

4.0

July 13, 2026

What's new in 4.0: Enhanced account authentication - Added a more secure method for logging in. Improved flow for saving birds - Streamlined the process for saving birds to your life list. Added support for iOS 26. Bug fixes and improvements. Important Update Notice: You'll be automatically logged out when this version launches due to the new authentication system. Simply log back in using any login screen. Forgot your password? Use the reset option to get back in quickly.

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Charts

Top Free

📉 10-1

Reference

This app dropped -1 position in Reference chart.

Last updated on August 7, 2026.

Events

Read more about Global Big Day
Event EndedSpecial Event

Global Big Day

Join birding's biggest celebration this May 10th

May 10, 2025 — May 11, 2025

Read More

Read more about Meet your Bird of the Day
Event EndedChallenge

Meet your Bird of the Day

A new bird each day, picked just for you!

Mar 13, 2025 — Mar 31, 2025

Read More

Read more about Great Backyard Bird Count
Event EndedSpecial Event

Great Backyard Bird Count

Celebrate birds from February 14 - 17

Feb 14, 2025 — Feb 18, 2025

Read More

See All

User reviews

Most RecentHighest RatedLowest Rated

I love this app

I’m learning so many birds with the help of this app.
Annoyed10@428Annoyed10@428

95% Perfect

This app has enhanced our birding dramatically. It’s a huge resource when travelling and we always recommend it to new birders. One huge enhancement would be to have haptic notifications on your Apple Watch when a new bird is found. Thank you
Bets_BBets_B

Bird is the word!

Fantastic app - 1st timer & this is fun & interesting…!
W A RoushW A Roush

Life List Lost

I have used and loved this app for many years but recently my life list just disappeared. I have contacted tech support multiple times but have gotten no response. Is there some way to recover my entire list? Please help!
Retire31Retire31

AI

I love this app however, I am deleting after realizing it uses AI. I do not support the use of AI.
gatorwitchgatorwitch
See 1674 more reviews

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User experience

🐞

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.