Merlin
Free bird identification app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, using sound and photos.
Recommended for identifying birds by their song on regular walks and at home1234, and credited with getting several commenters into birding.567 The only complaint is a half-joking one: birds tend to stop singing as soon as you start recording.8
Why people recommend it
Birdsong recognition · 3
Commenters use it to identify birds by their calls, including birds being mimicked by a mockingbird.
“I use iNaturalist (and Merlin for birdsong recognition).”
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“we typically get 10-20 Merlin detections on a decent day”
Habitual use · 3
People use it every morning or every week, some for several years.
“Highly highly recommend. I use it at least once a week and have done so for several years.”
“I normally go outside every morning to identify birds using Merlin.”
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Gateway to birding · 2
Several commenters say it got them into birding.
“got me into birding (and using Merlin) this year. Highly recommend.”
“Thanks to Merlin Bird ID, I've got rather into birds in the past few years.”
Learning bird calls · 2
It helps users learn specific calls, and kids enjoy browsing local birds and playing their sounds.
“Highly highly recommend. I use it at least once a week and have done so for several years.”
Caveats and dissent
Shy singers · 1
One user finds birds often stop singing once they start recording.
Often compared with
Threads where it came up
- Radio-tagged Monarch butterflies 1 mention
- Show HN: An e-ink frame that hears birds and draws them as 1800s illustrations 1 mention
- I turned my security cameras into an automatic bird identification system 1 mention
- Crime Pays but Botany Doesn't 1 mention
- Cornell's Interactive Wall of Birds 1 mention
- Who's the Smartest Corvid? 1 mention
Also written as Merlin Bird ID. Data: merlin.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 8
“I normally go outside every morning to identify birds using Merlin.”
“we typically get 10-20 Merlin detections on a decent day”
“got me into birding (and using Merlin) this year. Highly recommend.”
“I use iNaturalist (and Merlin for birdsong recognition).”
“Highly highly recommend. I use it at least once a week and have done so for several years.”
“Thanks to Merlin Bird ID, I've got rather into birds in the past few years.”
“highly recommend the Cornell Merlin Bird ID app”
“I love Merlin Bird ID [1] and Flora Incognita [2].”