Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab

4.9
150K reviews
5M+
Downloads
Content rating
Everyone
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About this app

What's that bird? Ask Merlin—the world’s leading app for birds. Just like magic, Merlin Bird ID will help you solve the mystery.

Merlin Bird ID helps you identify birds you see and hear. Merlin is unlike any other bird app—it's powered by eBird, the world’s largest database of bird sightings, sounds, and photos.

Merlin offers four fun ways to identify birds. Answer a few simple questions, upload a photo, record a singing bird, or explore birds in a region.

Whether you’re curious about a bird you’ve seen once or you’re hoping to identify every bird you can find, the answers are waiting for you with this free app from the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE MERLIN
• Expert ID tips, range maps, photos, and sounds help you learn about the birds you spot and build birding skills.
• Discover a new bird species each day with your own personalized Bird of the Day
• Get customized lists of birds you can find where you live or travel - anywhere in the world!
• Keep track of your sightings—build your personal list of the birds you find

MACHINE LEARNING MAGIC
• Powered by Visipedia, Merlin Sound ID and Photo ID uses machine learning to identify birds in photos and sounds. Merlin learns to recognize bird species based on training sets of millions of photos and sounds collected by birders at eBird.org, archived in the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
• Merlin delivers the most accurate results thanks to experienced birders, who curate and annotate sightings, photos, and sounds, who are the true magic behind Merlin.

AMAZING CONTENT
• Choose bird packs that contain photos, songs, and calls, and identification help for anywhere in the world, including Mexico, Costa Rica, South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India, Australia, Korea, Japan, China, and more.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s mission is to interpret and conserve the Earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds and nature. We are able to offer Merlin for free thanks to the generosity of Cornell Lab members, supporters, and citizen-science contributors.
Updated on
Feb 20, 2026

Data safety

Safety starts with understanding how developers collect and share your data. Data privacy and security practices may vary based on your use, region, and age. The developer provided this information and may update it over time.
No data shared with third parties
Learn more about how developers declare sharing
This app may collect these data types
Personal info, App activity and 2 others
Data is encrypted in transit
You can request that data be deleted

Ratings and reviews

4.9
148K reviews
dana anderson
February 16, 2026
I don't really like rating apps unless they leave a lasting Mark and that's what this app has done. I've always been interested in birds but never got around to actually learning how to identify them? this app makes it incredibly easy with the ability to identify them just by the noises they make. I've been in many states including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Colorado, Hawaii, and California and no matter where I go, it has been consistent in giving me accurate birds just based on a call.
20 people found this review helpful
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Justin Mowbray
January 27, 2026
I was really excited to use this app and start cataloging birds, however, the life list is not working properly. I cataloged three birds and they are not showing up on the life list. if this issue's fixed, I'd happily give it five stars. thank you for all the hard work you've done on this app! update: the app does show you your life list but only a day after, which seems odd. I do think another disappointing aspect of the app is that when you take a picture of a bird, it does not save it.
13 people found this review helpful
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Shea
May 16, 2025
Great app! I love the info about birds, the pictures, the call recordings, etc! It's been so fun keeping an eye (and ear) out for the birds in my area, since it gets me off my phone & interacting with my surroundings for once! My criticisms: 1) I'm unable to see a list of birds that I've sighted for the DAY. All I'm able to do is see the TOTAL list of spotted birds. This affects my feelings of achievement. 2) There are too many steps to log a sighting each time. This affects motivation to log.
87 people found this review helpful
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What’s new

What’s new in 3.10:
- Habitat Photos: Discover where birds live with our new curated carousels, making it easier than ever to find birds near you or further afield!
- Nearby Places: Get seasonal suggestions for spots to find your Bird of the Day and other birds you want to see.
- Seasonally Dynamic Media: Photos and sounds now adapt to the seasons, highlighting how birds change throughout the year.
- Tajik Language: We’re proud to introduce common names in Tajik!