1. Home
  2. Topics
  3. Merlin Bird App Free

Best Merlin Bird App Free

250+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.7 avg rating
19 free apps
Updated August 2026

Every iPhone needs a few good merlin bird app free. We benchmark 250+ 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 Merlin Bird App Free (August 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Merlin Bird ID by Cornell LabMerlin Bird ID by Cornell LabFree4.9★ (111K)NoNoAug 2026
2Bird Sounds Identifier Call IDBird Sounds Identifier Call IDFree4.7★ (13K)YesYesAug 2026
3Picture Bird: Bird identifierPicture Bird: Bird identifierFree4.7★ (40K)NoYesAug 2026
4Audubon Bird GuideAudubon Bird GuideFree4.3★ (4.5K)YesNoAug 2026
5eBirdeBirdFree3.8★ (797)NoNoAug 2026
6Identify Birds – Smart Bird IDIdentify Birds – Smart Bird IDFree4.7★ (17K)NoYesAug 2026
7Bird Call Identifier - Bird IDBird Call Identifier - Bird IDFree4.7★ (3)NoYesAug 2026
8BirdNETBirdNETFree4.0★ (212)NoNoAug 2026

Top Picks for Merlin Bird App Free

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
Bird Sounds Identifier Call ID#2

Bird Sounds Identifier Call ID by Nhu Nguyen Thi

Bird Identifier By Sound, Song
Strong Contender
🔍 Reference
4.7😞(13K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
#94in Reference
Bird Sounds Identifier Call ID screenshot 1
Bird Sounds Identifier Call ID screenshot 2
Bird Sounds Identifier Call ID screenshot 3
Bird Sounds Identifier Call ID screenshot 4
Bird Sounds Identifier Call ID screenshot 5
Bird Sounds Identifier Call ID screenshot 6

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.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Accurate bird identification
  • 👍 Helpful for bird enthusiasts
  • 🌟 Impressive app overall
  • 🎉 Great for learning about birds

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Inaccurate bird identification
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🤖 Overly aggressive upselling
Picture Bird: Bird identifier#3

Picture Bird: Bird identifier by Next Vision Limited

Bird Sound & Image ID, Birding
Worth Considering
🔍 Reference
4.7😐(40K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#38in Reference
Picture Bird: Bird identifier screenshot 1
Picture Bird: Bird identifier screenshot 2
Picture Bird: Bird identifier screenshot 3
Picture Bird: Bird identifier screenshot 4
Picture Bird: Bird identifier screenshot 5
Picture Bird: Bird identifier screenshot 6

Identify birds by photo or sound with this smart app. Access detailed information, learn about bird feeding, and manage your sightings. It's a comprehensive tool for bird enthusiasts of all levels.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Accurate identification
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 💡 Helpful information about birds
  • 🚀 Ability to identify from photos and sounds

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent identification accuracy
  • 🔒 Misleading subscription model
  • 🐛 Incorrect identification of common birds

More Merlin Bird App Free apps to explore

4
Audubon Bird Guide
Audubon Bird Guide
Audubon Bird Guide
Identify over 800 bird species
Free

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.

Bird identification toolDetailed species profilesBird song and call audio
🔍 Reference
(4.5K)
free with in-app purchases
5
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
6
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID
Identify Birds – Smart Bird ID
From photo or sound. Instantly
Free

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.

Identify birds by photoIdentify birds by soundGlobal bird identification guide
📚 Education
(17K)
free with in-app purchases
7
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
8
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
9
Bird Identifier: BirdScope
Bird Identifier: BirdScope
Bird Identifier: BirdScope
Bird Call & Photo Identifier
Free

Instantly identify birds using photos or sound with advanced AI. Explore a comprehensive encyclopedia, access bird watching guides, and build your personal collection of identified species. Discover fun avian facts and connect with a community of bird lovers.

AI-powered photo identificationBird sound recording and identificationExtensive bird encyclopedia
🌟 Lifestyle
(2.8K)
free with in-app purchases
10
Collins British Bird Guide
Collins British Bird Guide
Collins British Bird Guide
A field guide to Britain
$7.99
$9.99 | 20% OFF

Explore British and Irish birds with detailed illustrations, authoritative text, and sound recordings. Search by location, time, or plumage, and record your sightings. An AI-powered identification tool is available via subscription.

Detailed illustrationsAuthoritative bird textSound recordings of songs and calls
🔍 Reference
(1)
free with in-app purchases
11
Word of the Bird
Word of the Bird
Word of the Bird
by John Smith
Free

Identify and learn about birds with this app. Record sightings with GPS coordinates, photos, and weather details. Explore bird ecology and range maps for common North American species.

Bird call audio for 18 speciesBird ecology and range map linksTag GPS coordinates and addresses of sightings
📚 Education
(3)
free
12
Bird Identifier AI Bird Guide
Bird Identifier AI Bird Guide
Bird Identifier AI Bird Guide
Bird Identifier AI Bird Guide
Free

Instantly identify birds by taking a photo or uploading an image. Access a comprehensive guide with detailed species information, habitats, and behaviors. Build a personal collection of identified birds and watch engaging videos of them in their natural environments.

Instant AI bird identificationComprehensive bird guidePersonal bird collection dashboard
🔍 Reference
(2)
ad-supported
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 Sound Identifier: Call ID
Bird Sound Identifier: Call ID
Bird Sound Identifier: Call ID
AI Song, Photo & Species Guide
Free

Identify birds by their song or photo using advanced AI. Explore a vast sound library and learn detailed information about hundreds of species. Perfect for birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts.

Sound recognition for birdsongPhoto recognition for bird identificationColor-based bird search
📚 Education
(3)
subscription
15
Ptashka: Bird Sonar
Ptashka: Bird Sonar
Ptashka: Bird Sonar
Find out which bird is singing
Free

Identify birds by their songs using advanced AI, even without an internet connection. Map your past sightings and explore detailed information on over 6,000 species worldwide to enhance your birdwatching adventures.

Offline bird identification by songAI-powered species recognitionObservation mapping of sightings
🔍 Reference
(1)
free
16
Perchly - Bird Journal
Perchly - Bird Journal
Perchly - Bird Journal
Bird identify & Life List
Free

Identify birds from photos with a single tap and build your personal birdwatching journal. Track sightings by date and location, and collect bird species like a game.

Photo bird identificationBatch photo uploadAutomatic date and location detection
🔍 Reference
(1)
freemium
17
Bird Identifier - Bird+
Bird Identifier - Bird+
Bird Identifier - Bird+
Identify with Images
Free

Instantly identify bird species by snapping a photo or importing an image. Get detailed information and save your identification history. This tool is designed for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers to enhance their birdwatching experience.

Identify birds from photosAI-powered species recognitionDetailed bird information
📚 Education
(1)
free with in-app purchases
18
Bird Identifier: AI Scan
Bird Identifier: AI Scan
Bird Identifier: AI Scan
Discover any species by photo
Free

Instantly identify bird species using AI by simply pointing your camera. Access detailed information, behavior, and audio calls for each bird. Works offline, making it ideal for nature exploration.

AI-powered bird identificationOffline functionalityDetailed species profiles
🔍 Reference
(2)
subscription
19
Bird Identifier - Picture Snap
Bird Identifier - Picture Snap
Bird Identifier - Picture Snap
eBird Identify By Sound, Song
Free

Identify birds instantly using photos or sound recordings. Explore a global bird atlas with geographic data and detailed profiles linked to Wikipedia. Learn about avian species worldwide and contribute your own observations.

AI-powered photo identificationSound identification using AIGlobal bird atlas with maps
📚 Education
(2)
free with in-app purchases
20
birdr: Bird Scanner Game
birdr: Bird Scanner Game
birdr: Bird Scanner Game
Identify, Collect & Explore
Free

Identify birds instantly by taking a photo. Build a collection of collectible cards for each species you discover, complete with conservation data and your sighting details. Explore local species and track your sightings on a map.

AI bird identification from photosCollectible bird cardsDaily streaks and achievements
🔍 Reference
(3)
free with in-app purchases

FAQ about Merlin Bird App Free

What is the best merlin bird app free for iPhone?
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab tops our merlin bird app free 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 250+ merlin bird app free 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.