Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab
Cornell University Reference iPhoneiPadiPod touch
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab is a free Reference app for iPhone and iPad by Cornell University. Rated 4.9/5 from 113,886 ratings. Requires iOS 18.0.
- Rating
- 4.9
- 113K ratings
- Price
- Free
- on the App Store
- Size
- 319 MB
- Age 4+
- Updated
- Oct 9
- 2026 · v4.2.1
Screenshots
About Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab
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 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 • Merlin has bird 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.
Ratings & reviews
4.9
113K ratings
What’s new
Version 4.2.1 · Updated October 9, 2026
What's new in 4.2.1: Identifying birds with a picture is easier than ever. No need to crop your picture - simply upload your photo, add the location, and we'll take care of the rest. The sound recordings now include descriptive captions for some species, helping you understand what you're hearing and learn the key sounds that identify each species. Seasonally Dynamic Media: See how birds change throughout the year! Photos and sounds now adapt to the changing seasons, highlighting how birds can look and sound different throughout the year. Bug fixes and behind-the-scenes improvements.
App privacy
The developer, Cornell University, reported these privacy practices to Apple.
Data Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected and linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- Identifiers: User ID
Used for: App Functionality
Data Not Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected but is not linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- Contact Info: Email Address
- Location: Coarse Location
- Usage Data: Product Interaction
Used for: Developer’s Advertising or Marketing, Analytics, Product Personalization, App Functionality
Alternatives to Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab
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| App | Rating | Price | Last updated | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab | 4.9 / 5 (113,886 ratings) | Free | October 9, 2026 | |
| Bird Sounds Identifier Call ID | 4.7 / 5 (14,191) | Free | Oct 21, 2026 | Compare |
| Audubon Bird Guide | 4.3 / 5 (4,525) | Free | Oct 22, 2026 | Compare |
| Picture Bird: Bird identifier | 4.7 / 5 (40,554) | Free | Mar 6, 2026 | Compare |
| Birda - Bird Watching, Birding | 4.7 / 5 (2,303) | Free | Oct 22, 2026 | Compare |
| iNaturalist | 4.1 / 5 (714) | Free | Oct 21, 2026 | Compare |
| Seek by iNaturalist | 4.8 / 5 (30,916) | Free | Sep 30, 2026 | Compare |