Merlin Bird ID review
Free bird ID by song, photo or a few quick questions
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Free
- iPhone & iPad, Android
Does it deserve #2?
Is Merlin Bird ID worth it?
Yes. Merlin Bird ID scores 9.0/10 and ranks #2 in Learning. It's best for beginner and backyard birders, hikers and curious kids. Skip it if you want to identify plants, insects or other wildlife too. Price: Completely free, funded by Cornell Lab members and supporters.
The verdict
Merlin answers the question every backyard birder asks. Hold up your phone and Sound ID names the birds singing around you as they sing, snap a picture for Photo ID, or answer five quick questions about what you saw. Download a Bird Pack and it works with no signal. It's free with no ads, built by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It only does birds, but it does them brilliantly.
- Sound ID for live birdsong
- Photo ID
- Step-by-step ID questions
- Offline Bird Packs
- Life list of your sightings
Score breakdown
Overall = features 30% · design 20% · speed 20% · value 15% · privacy 15%. Why these weights?
What's new
- Oct 2026Photo ID no longer needs cropping; just add your photo and location
- Oct 2026Captions on some sound recordings, and photos and sounds that change with the seasons
- Aug 2026Sound ID added species in Central and South America, Australia, Asia and Africa
Privacy 9.0/10
App Store label: no tracking, and only a user ID is linked to you. Email, coarse location and usage are collected without your identity. Google Play says no data is shared.
What we like
- Free, with no ads or in-app purchases
- Identifies birds by sound in real time
- Works offline once you download a region
What could be better
- Only covers birds
- No Mac, Windows or web version
- Some users report glitches saving sightings
Beginner and backyard birders, hikers and curious kids
you want to identify plants, insects or other wildlife too
Questions about Merlin Bird ID
Is Merlin Bird ID worth it in 2026?
Yes. Merlin Bird ID scores 9.0/10 and ranks #2 in Learning. It's best for beginner and backyard birders, hikers and curious kids. Skip it if you want to identify plants, insects or other wildlife too. Price: Completely free, funded by Cornell Lab members and supporters.
Is Merlin Bird ID free?
Yes. Merlin is completely free with no in-app purchases, supported by Cornell Lab members and donors.
Does Merlin work without internet?
Yes. Download a Bird Pack for your region and you can identify birds offline.
How does Sound ID work?
Sound ID listens through your phone's microphone and suggests matching species live as birds sing. The store listing says it covers over 2,000 species.
What are the best alternatives to Merlin Bird ID?
The closest alternatives are Khan Academy, Brilliant and Duolingo. See all of them ranked on our Merlin Bird ID alternatives page.
Where does Merlin Bird ID rank?
Merlin Bird ID ranks #2 of 10 in our Learning ranking, with an overall score of 9.0 out of 10.