MERLIN BIRD ID FREE

THE BEST BIRD ID APP

Easily the best free bird ID app we’ve come across, Merlin’s party trick is its Sound ID function. Working best at close range (with minimum background noise), it can pick out individual songs from the cacophony of a morning chorus. You can also filter likely spotted species based on where you are, size, plumage and behaviour. Or, if you can zoom in close enough, let the photo ID function do the sifting for you. Developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, it pairs with the US university’s checklist app, eBird. Available on Apple and Android devices (registration required)