Merlin Bird ID is a smartphone app from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, who is well-known for their numerous educational resources about birds and birding. Users can identify a bird by supplying a photo or by answering a short series of questions, then the app presents them with a list of possible species based on their input, along with photos, recordings of each species' calls, and maps showing their ranges. The app can be used to explore the species that are likely to be seen in the user's area based on their location, and it can also be used offline (with appropriate setup beforehand) to identify birds while in isolated areas. Currently, the app's available species focus primarily on North America, but it also covers parts of Central and South America and Europe. Aimed at beginning birders, Merlin Bird ID makes a handy bird identification field guide available on Android and iOS devices.
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