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Best Free Bird Call Identification Apps

244+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
20 free apps
Updated August 2026

Every iPhone needs a few good free bird call identification apps. We benchmark 244+ of them on App Store rating, freshness, and pricing, then surface the standouts so you don't have to scroll the App Store yourself.

Compare top Free Bird Call Identification Apps (August 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Merlin Bird ID by Cornell LabMerlin Bird ID by Cornell LabFree4.9★ (111K)NoNoAug 2026
2Audubon Bird GuideAudubon Bird GuideFree4.3★ (4.5K)YesNoAug 2026
3Identify Birds – Smart Bird IDIdentify Birds – Smart Bird IDFree4.7★ (17K)NoYesAug 2026
4BirdNETBirdNETFree4.0★ (212)NoNoAug 2026
5Bird Sounds Identifier Call IDBird Sounds Identifier Call IDFree4.7★ (13K)YesYesAug 2026
6Bird Call Identifier - Bird IDBird Call Identifier - Bird IDFree4.7★ (3)NoYesAug 2026
7Bird Song Identifier・Sounds IDBird Song Identifier・Sounds IDFree—NoYesAug 2026
8Bird Finder - Bird IdentifierBird Finder - Bird IdentifierFree—YesNoMay 2026

Top Picks for Free Bird Call Identification

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab#1

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab by Cornell University

Identify Birds You See & Hear
Editor's Choice
🔍 Reference
4.9😊(111K ratings)
Free
#11in Reference
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot 1
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot 2
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot 3
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot 4
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot 5
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab screenshot 6

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.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Helpful for bird identification
  • 🔒 Accurate bird identification
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 👍 Useful for beginners and experts

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Sound ID not always accurate
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🐛 Difficulty adding birds to life list
Audubon Bird Guide#2

Audubon Bird Guide by National Audubon Society

Identify over 800 bird species
Strong Contender
🔍 Reference
4.3😊(4.5K ratings)
FreeAds
Audubon Bird Guide screenshot 1
Audubon Bird Guide screenshot 2
Audubon Bird Guide screenshot 3
Audubon Bird Guide screenshot 4
Audubon Bird Guide screenshot 5

Identify North American birds with this comprehensive field guide. Features include a bird ID tool based on observations, detailed species information with photos and audio, and a personal sightings log. Discover nearby birding locations and connect with conservation efforts.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Great app
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🔍 Helpful for identifying birds
  • 🎶 Useful bird calls and sounds

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and crashes
  • 🔄 Confusing interface changes
  • 🔒 Requires account creation
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID#3

Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID by Yellow Cardinal Inc.

From photo or sound. Instantly
Worth Considering
📚 Education
4.7😊(17K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID screenshot 1
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID screenshot 2
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID screenshot 3
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID screenshot 4
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID screenshot 5
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID screenshot 6

Instantly identify birds from photos or sounds. Explore a global bird guide, learn through interactive challenges and courses, and log your sightings. Connect with a community of bird watchers and collect animated stickers.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Terrific app for identifying birds
  • 👍 Helpful for learning about birds
  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 👍 Provides detailed information on birds

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 💰 Some features locked behind paywall
  • 🔍 Difficulty isolating bird sounds in noisy environments

More Free Bird Call Identification apps to explore

4
BirdNET
BirdNET
BirdNET
Bird sound identification
Free

Identify bird species by their sounds using AI. Record audio with your device and discover the birds around you. Contribute to conservation research by submitting your recordings.

AI-powered bird sound recognitionIdentify common North American and European speciesRecord audio with internal microphone
📚 Education
(212)
free
5
Bird Sounds Identifier Call ID
Bird Sounds Identifier Call ID
Bird Sounds Identifier Call ID
Bird Identifier By Sound, Song
Free

Identify birds by their songs or images. This app can recognize over 10,000 species, providing detailed information and photos. It's designed for bird lovers and nature enthusiasts to easily learn about avian life.

Identify birds by pictureIdentify birds by soundRecognize 10,000+ bird species
🔍 Reference
(13K)
free with in-app purchases
6
Bird Call Identifier - Bird ID
Bird Call Identifier - Bird ID
Bird Call Identifier - Bird ID
Song, Sound Identification app
Free

Identify birds by their songs, photos, or descriptions. Explore detailed profiles of over 10,000 species and build your personal life list of sightings. Perfect for beginners and experienced birdwatchers alike.

Identify birds by sound recordingIdentify birds by photoIdentify birds by description
🌟 Lifestyle
(3)
freemium
7
Bird Song Identifier・Sounds ID
Bird Song Identifier・Sounds ID
Bird Song Identifier・Sounds ID
Picture Identify Birds Calls
Free
🌟 Lifestyle
(0)
8
Bird Finder - Bird Identifier
Bird Finder - Bird Identifier
Bird Finder - Bird Identifier
Sound & Image Recognize
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
9
Birdly: Bird Identifier
Birdly: Bird Identifier
Birdly: Bird Identifier
Sound, Call & Photo ID
Free
📚 Education
(0)
10
Lyrebird: Bird Identifier
Lyrebird: Bird Identifier
Lyrebird: Bird Identifier
Scan photo & sound to ID birds
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
11
Bird Songs App
Bird Songs App
Bird Songs App
AI Bird Song Identification
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
12
eBird
eBird
eBird
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Free

Easily record bird sightings in the field and contribute to a global database for scientific research and conservation. This app offers offline functionality, customized checklists, and GPS-enabled location plotting.

Record bird observations globallyGlobal taxonomy and local common namesLocation and time-based checklists
🔍 Reference
(797)
free
13
Bird Identifier: Bird Sound ID
Bird Identifier: Bird Sound ID
Bird Identifier: Bird Sound ID
Bird Call Identification App
Free

Instantly identify birds by their song or a photo using advanced AI. Get detailed information and ask an AI chatbot questions about bird species, habitats, and behaviors. Perfect for beginners and experts alike.

AI bird sound recognitionBird identification by photoAI chatbot for bird knowledge
📚 Education
(1)
free with in-app purchases
14
Bird Identifier: Photo & Sound
Bird Identifier: Photo & Sound
Bird Identifier: Photo & Sound
Bird Sounds & Photo Identifier
Free
📚 Education
(0)
15
Bird Sound Identifier Call Id
Bird Sound Identifier Call Id
Bird Sound Identifier Call Id
Song Picture Identification
Free

Identify birds instantly using your phone's camera or microphone. This AI-powered tool provides accurate visual and audio recognition, helping you learn about local wildlife on your nature walks.

Identify birds by photoIdentify birds by soundAccurate visual recognition
🔍 Reference
(1)
subscription
16
Syrinx: Learn Bird Songs
Syrinx: Learn Bird Songs
Syrinx: Learn Bird Songs
Bird Calls & Ear Training
Free

This app teaches you to identify bird songs and calls through interactive daily lessons and quizzes. It offers a comprehensive guide with over 250 species and focuses on ear training to build your birding skills.

Interactive ear training quizzesExtensive bird species libraryDaily learning goals and rewards
📚 Education
(3)
free with in-app purchases
17
Rockjumper Bird ID
Rockjumper Bird ID
Rockjumper Bird ID
Southern Africa call ID
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
18
Birdlens: Bird Identifier Scan
Birdlens: Bird Identifier Scan
Birdlens: Bird Identifier Scan
Bird ID by Photo & Sound AI
Free
🔍 Reference
(0)
19
Bird Identifier - Quillix
Bird Identifier - Quillix
Bird Identifier - Quillix
Scan over 1000 bird species
Free
📚 Education
(0)
20
Bird song Silvestes
Bird song Silvestes
Bird song Silvestes
Sounds of wild birds
Free
🎬 Entertainment
(0)

FAQ about Free Bird Call Identification

What are the best free bird call identification apps for iPhone?
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab tops our free bird call identification apps ranking as of August 2026, with a 4.9-star average from 111K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab has no ads and has no in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of August 2026.
We track 244+ free bird call identification apps on the iOS App Store as of August 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
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.
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.