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Merlin Bird ID is a useful tool for beginner and expert birders alike. This app helps you identify birds you observe by sight and/or sound. Spot a bird? Just answer five simple questions about the bird, and Merlin will generate a list of species that match your description. Want to know which birds are calling or singing? Start recording, and Merlin will suggest species that match those vocalizations in real time. Merlin is a great resource to consult on the go and works very well for most common birds, which are the focus of Project Phoenix. However, like all predictive models, Merlin is not perfect, and birders should be mindful when reporting rare birds. We recommend the following best practices when using Merlin Sound ID: —> Turn your location services on. Merlin will not work well if the app doesn’t know where you are and which species are likely to be near you! —> If Merlin suggests species you have previously observed at your monitoring site, or you know the call or song, go ahead and report that species. —> If Merlin suggests a species that is new to you, particularly if it is rare, try to confirm the species visually. And remember, you can always report larger taxonomic groups on your checklists if you're not sure (e.g., "finch species" or "hummingbird species"). Check out our website for more FAQs and resources on species ID!
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