Have you ever been out in the bush, heard a mysterious bird call, and wondered, “What species is that?” You’re not alone! With new technology and a dedicated community, it’s now easier than ever to identify Australian birds by their songs. Every recording shared adds to our national soundscape and helps us move toward a future where every Aussie bird can be recognised by its song.
The Evolution of Bird Song Identification Apps
Not long ago, birdwatchers had to memorise hundreds of calls or use unreliable, outdated apps. Technology has improved, but not all bird song identification apps work equally well. BirdNET is free, but it can be clunky, and its accuracy varies. Some smaller paid apps cover fewer species and may not perform as well. Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab is a free app that identifies bird calls in real time and keeps getting better.
Merlin’s Aussie Upgrade
If you’ve used Merlin in Australia in the past, you might remember that it only worked for introduced species like the House Sparrow and the Common Myna. That’s changed!
Before 2024, Merlin Bird ID was just starting out in Australia. It could only identify 45 international species, so most of our unique Aussie birds were missing. At the end of 2024, Cornell University held its first bird recording workshops in Brisbane and Melbourne. These workshops taught a small group of birders how to record and upload bird calls to eBird, which led to a wave of new audio submissions.
Fast forward to June 2025, and things got exciting. Our team added 15 Australian birds to Merlin’s repertoire.
In October 2025, we added 68 more Australian species to the app, focusing on birds you’re likely to see in your backyard or local park. November 2025, new recording workshops in Adelaide and Perth brought in more recordists and even more recordings. Building on that success, we added another 40 species in March 2026. Now, Merlin Sound ID can recognise a total of 168 bird species across Australia, with more on the way in the coming months.
Why Does This Matter?
Automatic bird song identification isn’t just a cool trick for birdwatchers—it’s a big win for conservation. The easier it is for people to identify birds, the more people get involved in birdwatching and caring about our environment. Plus, acoustic monitoring (using recorders strapped to trees) helps scientists track birds and their habitats, even in remote areas and under tough conditions. More data means better protection for birds, plants, and land.
How Merlin Learns Bird Songs
For Merlin to “learn” a bird’s vocalisations, we need at least 150 recordings of each species from all over Australia. Birds have accents and dialects, just like people, so variety is key. There are still many common species that are missing (e.g., Australian Pipit, Fairy Martin, Tree Martin).
The Magic of Annotation
Once enough recordings are collected, each one needs to be annotated. A skilled birdwatcher listens to the audio and labels which bird is making each sound. Using a spectrogram, which is a visual representation of sound, the annotator draws boxes around the calls and matches them to the right species. This process gradually teaches Merlin’s model what each bird sounds like. Fewer than 20 annotators in Australia do this careful work, but it’s essential for helping Merlin recognise bird calls accurately.
How Long Until Merlin Knows Every Bird?
Manually annotating recordings takes a lot of time, roughly 10 hours per species. After annotation, the machine learning model is trained, tested, and released. Because there are so few annotators working in their spare time, it will take at least two years to cover most Australian species.
What about BirdNET?
Both BirdNET and Merlin learn from recordings submitted to eBird, but they use different methods to get their results.
BirdNET uses automated training, which is fast and flexible. This makes it ideal for research projects where speed and broad coverage matter most. Researchers can accept some inaccuracy if they know how confident the model is in its results. Merlin, on the other hand, is designed for accuracy. Human experts review each recording, visually mark every bird call to match it to the correct species, and double-check these results using strict quality control test recordings. This slower, careful approach leads to consistently reliable identifications, even with tricky or noisy recordings.
Both apps have their place. No matter which one you use, uploading a recording to eBird helps improve both Merlin and BirdNET.
Will apps replace “birding by ear”?
Bird identification apps are best seen as tools to help, not replace, traditional birding skills. Fieldcraft and careful listening are still important, but people can make mistakes just like machines, especially with tricky calls, overlapping songs, or regional dialects. Apps like Merlin or BirdNET make birding more accessible, spark curiosity, and help people who might feel left out because of time, age, hearing loss, or inexperience. They also offer support in different languages and regions, and help reinforce learning by letting users hear, check, and confirm calls. Still, birdwatchers shouldn’t rely only on apps for identification; the best approach combines technology with careful observation.
How You Can Help
You don’t need expensive equipment to make a difference, your smartphone is all you need! Simply record bird calls using the Merlin app and upload them to your eBird checklist. If you need help getting started, contact me for further details. Every submission helps Merlin become smarter and brings us closer to identifying all of Australia’s birds by sound.
Get Involved and Stay Curious
You can make a real difference, no matter where you live! All you need is your phone and a few minutes outside. Record bird calls and upload them to eBird. Every single recording helps Merlin get smarter.
Many regions beyond the East Coast are underrepresented, so even a few calls from your area can fill major gaps and help researchers and birders alike.
The Merlin Bird ID app is free for Apple and Android phones. Get involved, have fun, and help us map the full diversity of Australia’s birds, one song at a time!
Getting Started: Resources
How to Upload your Birdsong Recordings to eBird (paper guide): https://bit.ly/4dQQvzn (takes you to Dropbox)
How to Upload your Birdsong Recordings to eBird (video on Youtube)
Cornell University – How to Record Bird Sounds (paid online short course)
Join the Bird Recordists Australia Facebook Group for further updates and mini workshops.
Any further questions please contact Mat Gilfedder on mg867@cornell.edu or Rob Nicholson on birdwalkz@hotmail.com.
About the author
Rob Nicholson is a passionate birdwatcher, field recordist, and annotator. He leads Birdwalkz, a monthly meetup in Southeast Queensland where people come together to learn field recording, share sightings, and celebrate local birdlife. Rob also runs the Birdwalkz YouTube channel, offering practical videos and tips on bird identification, field recording, and birdwatching locations across Australia and abroad.
