Why budding birders are flocking to Shazam-like apps to identify avians
The Merlin Bird ID app, developed by Cornell University, has seen a surge in popularity with 12 million downloads in 2026 alone. The app utilizes machine learning and community-contributed data to identify thousands of bird species by sight and sound.
Why it matters
The success of this app demonstrates how AI and citizen science can democratize specialized hobbies and contribute to global biodiversity data collection.
Image source, Megan Szostak Image caption, Megan has been birding since childhood, but Merlin Bird ID has become part of her toolkit
Megan Szostak, 26, was always a "bird kid".
The urge to watch and appreciate the world around her - and avians flitting in and out of it - has been ingrained in her since childhood, when she was given her grandfather's binoculars after he died.
Armed with this and a field guide in her home of San Francisco, she set about identifying birds from an early age.
But in recent years, her birding toolbelt has expanded to include something far more modern - an app.
"I had friends who probably wouldn't describe themselves as birders, but more just curious about nature and the world around them, recommend it to me," Megan said.
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