Key facts
- Merlin Bird ID, developed by Cornell University, uses AI to identify bird species by sight and sound.
- The app has achieved 42 million downloads overall, with 12 million in 2026.
- Merlin's identification capabilities have grown to cover 11,000 species.
- Younger demographics are showing increased interest in birdwatching, partly due to these apps.
- Lifer, a new app, gamifies bird identification with virtual collectible cards.
- Lifer aims to support conservation efforts by protecting sensitive species locations and sharing data.
Modern technology, particularly AI-powered applications, is drawing a new generation of enthusiasts to birdwatching. Merlin Bird ID, developed by Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology, has become a leading tool, allowing users to identify birds by their appearance or sound. The app has seen significant growth, with 42 million downloads overall and 12 million in 2026 alone, expanding its identification capabilities from 285 species at launch to approximately 11,000 today.
This surge in popularity is attributed to advancements in AI and the contributions of a global community of birdwatchers who submit recordings. While some experts caution that the app is not infallible for official sightings, its Sound ID tool has facilitated 4.4 billion identifications. Other bird identification apps, such as Birda, have also experienced increased downloads, with market intelligence firms noting a shift towards younger audiences engaging with the hobby.
For users like Megan Szostak, Merlin enhances the birding experience by offering both visual and auditory identification methods, making the hobby more inclusive. The app is often compared to 'Shazam for birds' due to its song identification feature. Sam Lewis, a software engineer, was inspired to create his own app, Lifer, which gamifies the experience by allowing users to collect virtual cards for identified birds, with rarity and recording quality influencing the cards. Lifer also incorporates conservation features, such as hiding precise locations of rare species and submitting data to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Cornell University plans to keep Merlin user-friendly, aiming to encourage more people to engage with nature and enjoy birdwatching through accessible technology.