Merlin bird ID by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a free mobile app that helps identify birds. The app has advanced image recognition technology and machine learning algorithms to provide instantaneous and accurate identifications. Merlin bird ID does not require an internet connection, making it useful for identifying birds in areas with limited connectivity. The app has a massive database of over 6,000 bird species from North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Merlin bird ID is available for free download on both iOS and Android devices.
How Merlin Bird ID Works
Merlin bird ID allows users to identify birds in three ways. The first option is to take or upload a photo of a bird. The app will provide likely identifications with information like the species name, facts, bird sounds, and notable field marks. The identifications are instantaneous after submitting a photo. If users do not have a photo, they can answer five simple questions about the bird observation. Questions include details like location, size, color, behavior, and distinguishing marks. After answering the questions, Merlin generates a list of possible matches. Lastly, users can browse through species groups and explore birds common in their area during a particular month of the year.
Identification Method | Process |
---|---|
Photo Identification | Users take or upload a photo of a bird. The app instantly analyzes the image and provides identifications. |
Question Identification | Users answer 5 questions about the bird sighting. Merlin provides possible matches based on the answers. |
Browse by Species Groups | Users can browse and explore birds common in their area during certain months. |
The image recognition technology uses deep learning neural networks trained on millions of photos to identify birds accurately. Even low-quality photos or photos showing partial views of a bird can lead to correct IDs. The question-based identification uses expert algorithms to weigh responses and narrow down possibilities from the massive database. Exploring species groups allows users to learn about birds common during migration periods and breeding seasons.
Accuracy of Merlin Bird ID
Research studies evaluating Merlin bird ID’s accuracy have found exceptional results. A 2020 study published in The Condor: Ornithological Applications tested Merlin’s accuracy for over 675 North American species. Researchers submitted five photos per species taken by different photographers. Merlin accurately identified 97.9% of the photos to the correct species. Only 1.7% were misidentified, with the remaining categorized as low confidence. The results demonstrate Merlin’s image recognition reliably works across diverse photos of birds.
Another 2021 study in The Auk: Ornithological Advances evaluated Merlin’s accuracy with low-quality photos taken by citizen scientists. These were photos showing distant birds, cropped views, poor lighting, and other challenges. Despite the limitations, Merlin identified the correct species for 94% of the photos. The high accuracy even with poor photos highlights Merlin’s robust image recognition capabilities.
Benefits of Using Merlin Bird ID
Here are some of the main benefits and advantages of using the Merlin bird ID app:
Instant and Accurate Identifications
Merlin provides instant bird identifications in seconds, even while offline. The advanced computer vision technology identifies species with 97-99% accuracy under diverse conditions. Merlin effectively eliminates the need to thumb through field guides when trying to ID tricky birds.
Educational Resources
Detailed species accounts provide photos, bird sounds, fun facts, and identification tips. Users can save identified birds to life lists and learn more about species. Quizzes, guides, and monthly bird forecasts enrich the educational experience.
Works for All Skill Levels
Merlin is a terrific tool for beginner birders learning new species. At the same time, seasoned birders appreciate the quick and reliable IDs for tricky observations. The exploratory features also engage users of all skill levels.
Community Engagement
Users can share bird sightings and engage with the birding community worldwide. Social features enable discussions with other users about identifications.
Portability
Available as a free mobile app, Merlin provides identification capabilities anywhere. The portability is ideal for travel or birding in remote areas with no field guide on hand.
Additional Merlin Features
In addition to bird identification capabilities, the Merlin app includes various other useful features:
Life List and Sightings Journal
Users can save identified birds to a life list and journal to track sightings. The lists make it easy to keep track of total species observed over time.
Challenges and Quizzes
Merlin has periodic bird identification challenges and quizzes. These engaging games test identification skills and reward top performers.
Sounds and Song ID
An in-app song identifier can recognize birds by sound. Detailed species accounts also provide audio recordings of songs and calls.
Nearby Birds Feature
This explores species likely to be encountered in a location during certain months or times of day. Helpful for finding target birds to observe.
Limitations of Merlin Bird ID
While Merlin excels at identifying most common species, there are some limitations to be aware of:
Rare and Juvenile Birds
Since the app learns from millions of crowdsourced photos, it may struggle with rarely photographed juvenile or molting birds. The AI also lags for very rare species outside the database.
Only Visual Identification
Merlin currently cannot identify birds by sound/song input – only by photo, Q&A, or browsing options. So vocal identification still requires human skills.
Americas/Europe Focus
Though the database has expanded worldwide, the strongest coverage remains North/South American and European species. Identification of Asian and African species may be less reliable.
Requires Good Photos
Merlin works best with clear, close-up photos showing distinguishing characteristics. Distant photos of perched birds can still be challenging.
Tips for Improving Merlin Accuracy
Follow these tips to get the highest accuracy when using Merlin bird ID:
Get Close-Up Photos
Try photographing the bird as close as possible using binoculars or zoom lens. Close-ups showing key feathers or markings improve ID success.
Be Patient
Wait to capture good photos of the bird facing you in good lighting conditions to highlight details. Rushing leads to poor quality images.
Focus on Distinctive Features
Try taking photos emphasizing key features like the bill shape, plumage markings, wing bars, eye rings etc. Unique field marks aid identification.
Answer Questions Carefully
Provide accurate and detailed responses to Merlin’s questions to limit possibilities. Avoid vague or speculative answers.
Try Multiple Angles
Take photos of the bird facing front, side, back etc. to provide more perspectives. Different views improve accuracy.
Submit Multiple Photos
Uploading several quality photos of the bird provides more data points for Merlin to analyze and cross-check.
Conclusion
Merlin bird ID offers a remarkably effective free tool for identifying birds. The mobile app’s advanced computer vision instantaneously recognizes species from photos with high accuracy. Merlin makes birding more accessible and engaging thanks to its portable, easy-to-use interface. While the technology has some limitations, tips like getting close-up, high-quality photos can maximize the success rate. With ongoing improvements to the image recognition algorithms and species database, Merlin promises to become an indispensable birding resource worldwide.