This App Can Identify Any Bird in Your Area by Sight or Sound

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We become desensitized to the usual sounds around us—car alarms, the chatter of squirrels, the mechanical functions of modern life that switch on and off throughout the day. If you had asked me a week ago what kind of birds live in my area, I would have answered “cardinals” with confidence (because they are quite easy to recognize). Otherwise? I have no idea. But after using the Merlin Bird ID app for just a few minutes, I could hear and see many more feathered neighbors right outside my house.

This app is made possible by the Cornell Ornithology Lab and the ornithologists who have contributed over 800 million sightings to the eBird app. Now you don’t need a thick book or an experienced guide to start learning about local birds.

How to use the Merlin Bird ID app

Merlin Bird ID is free, but you need to share some information to use its features. Install the app on your phone and register by email.

When you allow the app to access your location, you can upload data to identify birds in your region or choose from many other regions of the world. Currently, Merlin can identify over 1000 bird species in the US, Canada, Europe, Central and South America. As more users share bird sightings around the world, the app will expand to include more species and regions.

You can identify birds by describing them physically, photographing them, or recording their songs. I decided to play with the sound because I’m trying to relax and not tread the woods with binoculars.

I first tested the app by playing a recording of the summer tanager song on my computer. He immediately identified the bird, but also suggested other options – the white-winged dove and the cardinal. The sound of these birds is not at all similar, so I was wondering what confused the application. Then I realized that the very faint cries of the dove and the cardinal were coming from outside my house. I didn’t even notice them, but the app did. It is so good.

When I took the app to my backyard for five minutes of morning time in nature, it picked up the sounds of 11 bird species in my densely populated area of ​​the city. I felt like I was meeting new neighbors for the first time.

bird attraction

The National Wildlife Federation has the following tips for bringing all the birds to your yard:

  1. Install a birdbath so they always have fresh water.
  2. Grow native plants like those recommended by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center . The NWF also recommends reducing the space where you grow your lawn in favor of growing more bird-friendly habitats.
  3. Don’t use insecticides.
  4. Do not remove dead trees and do not keep a pile of brushwood – they serve as a refuge for birds.
  5. Use bird feeders.

Now satisfy your new obsession with birds by visiting these sites for more information:

Listening to various bird songs is not much different than looking for Pokémon, and you can say things like, “Oh! We’ve caught the chimney!” and imitating their call. Another warning for those who have never paid attention to the sounds of birds: once you recognize the voices of your bird neighbors, you may not be able to tune them again. Seriously, house sparrows never shut up.

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