A beginner's guide to Merlin Bird ID

Birdwatching often takes a trained eye and a careful approach, but Merlin Bird ID takes care of all the fuss so you can simply enjoy and archive your winged encounters. Whether you’re a seasoned birder or just curious about feathered friends you come across, here’s how to make the most of the app.

To set up, create an account and enable your location services. Location is key to bird identification since bird species are adapted to specific habitats and many are migratory, so the birds you see in a particular location will change dramatically throughout the year. Next, follow the prompts to install a bird pack for your region, which will contain photos, sounds, and range maps for all the birds nearby.

To personalize your Merlin experience, head to the Settings tab to download more bird packs when you travel, toggle your preferred view of scientific names, or learn more about navigating the app.

Now Merlin is ready to help you on your avian adventures. Tap the Identify tab to begin logging your sightings. To identify a bird using their bird call, tap “Sound ID” to record an audio clip, or tap “Photo ID” to snap a bird photo or upload one from your gallery for the app to identify. The app will recommend some most likely species based on your input, location, and the time of the year.

Recommendations include sample photos and clips of that species’ songs and calls, so you’ll be able to cross check. If you find a match, tap “This is my bird” to log your encounter and the location where you had your sighting. The app will add this to your collection of birds as a new “lifer,” marking the first time you spotted the species in your life.

The “Life List” tab shows you species you’ve encountered before and the location, as well as the date you added them to your collection. Tap a lifer to view more details, like identifying markings, flocking behavior, and sample audio of their sounds and calls. As your Life List grows, you can search for species you’ve already tracked with the search icon in the upper-right corner, or tap the filter icon to organize the list by date.

Below your Life List, you’ll also find birds you're most likely to encounter in the area, under the “What’s your next lifer?” section. This lets you know which birds to look out for as you’re out and about.

Under the Explore tab, you’ll find a list of the species most likely to be found in your area. You’ll also see a graphic that tells you the month when they usually appear the most. Tap a bird to learn more about the species, like their behavior in different times of the year, roosting habitats, and even a map of their breeding, migration, or year-round ranges.

Merlin Bird ID lets you simply enjoy the beautiful birds around you, whether you’re exploring your local park, watching birds from your window, or even on a trip where you’ll find new and exciting species. All you have to do is keep an eye out and your phone handy – they might just be waiting in the wings.