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Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab

Identify Birds You See & Hear

114K ratings
2031 reviews
#24 in free Reference
🌟 Lifestyle
🔍 Reference
Free

Details

Released
December 11, 2013
Updated
October 30, 2026

Features

Developer

Cornell University
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About

Instantly identify birds by sight or sound. This app uses advanced machine learning and a vast database of bird sightings, sounds, and photos to help you discover and learn about avian species worldwide. Track your sightings and explore birds in your region.

✓Identify birds by photo
✓Identify birds by sound
✓Answer simple questions for ID
✓Explore birds by region
✓Personalized Bird of the Day
✓Track personal sightings
✓View range maps and sounds
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What users say about Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab

Reviews of Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab are mostly positive: the Reference app is rated 4.9/5 from 114K App Store ratings. What users like most: helpful for bird identification, accurate bird identification. Top complaints: sound ID not always accurate, occasional crashes or bugs. Summarized from real user reviews.

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

4.2.2

October 30, 2026

What's new in 4.2.2: Identifying birds with a picture is easier than ever. No need to crop your picture - simply upload your photo, add the location, and we'll take care of the rest. The sound recordings now include descriptive captions for some species, helping you understand what you're hearing and learn the key sounds that identify each species. Seasonally Dynamic Media: See how birds change throughout the year! Photos and sounds now adapt to the changing seasons, highlighting how birds can look and sound different throughout the year. Bug fixes and behind-the-scenes improvements.

More

Charts

Top Free

📊 24

Reference

The app has maintained its position at 24 recently.

Last updated on November 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

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User reviews

Most RecentHighest RatedLowest Rated

Won’t take entered location. Unusable in airplane mode and without turning on location!

Unusable
MMommabear23

Why only portrait orientation

Not sure why but the app recently only opens in portrait mode on my IPad, rather than much preferred landscape mode. It previously rotated to either portrait or landscape to match the tablet orientation, now portrait only is annoying.
BYBed yes

Good

Good app overall but the new features slow it down a bit at times
Nneinvksncdksivniwnd

Was great till

I’ve used the app for years, then last week it opened in a narrow strip in the middle of the screen on iPad. App will not expand to full page, or even a usible size.The app works fine on iPhone.
TAtired of apple apps

Alarm clock

This is such a wonderful app! So, thank you to everyone involved for your hard work in developing and maintaining it. I just have a request/suggestion - I think it’s a missed opportunity that there isn’t an alarm clock function. I almost paid $50 for an app “Bird Rise” but thought I would look into any apps that actually benefit research or conservation efforts. “Don chorus” used to offer this, but has removed the option from the version for iOS. Please consider this, I would even be willing to pay for it to support this app!
Show more
SLSuzanna Lester
See 2026 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 is Merlin Bird ID?

Merlin Bird ID is a free app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that helps you identify birds you see or hear. It uses machine learning and a vast database of bird sightings, sounds, and photos to provide accurate identifications.

How does Merlin Bird ID identify birds?

Merlin Bird ID offers four identification methods: answering simple questions about the bird, uploading a photo, recording its song, or exploring birds in a specific region. Its AI is powered by eBird data and trained on millions of bird photos and sounds.

Is Merlin Bird ID free to use?

Yes, Merlin Bird ID is completely free to use. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers it for free thanks to the generosity of its members, supporters, and citizen-science contributors.

What kind of information does Merlin Bird ID provide about birds?

Beyond identification, Merlin Bird ID offers expert tips, range maps, photos, and sounds for each bird. It also provides customized lists of birds you can find in your location and helps you track your personal sightings.

Does Merlin Bird ID have ads?

No, Merlin Bird ID is an ad-free application. Users have praised it for being a free app with no advertisements.

What devices does Merlin Bird ID support?

Merlin Bird ID is currently supported on iPhones. The app was last updated on October 30, 2026, with version 4.2.2.

How accurate is Merlin Bird ID's sound identification?

While Merlin Bird ID has an excellent sound identification feature, some users have noted that Sound ID is not always accurate. However, the app is generally praised for accurate bird identification overall.

What is the age rating for Merlin Bird ID?

Merlin Bird ID has an age rating of 4+. It is designed to be accessible and useful for a wide range of users interested in learning about birds.