There are many different recording and identification programs that we can use with birds. This page will give you choices, along with pros and cons.

Identification software

Merlin

Merlin is a fantastic tool used by professionals and amateurs. This is a free app available on Google Play and the App Store. Merlin is an app designed by Cornell University and is used for bird song and call identification. A pro of Merlin is that it provides exceptional, real-time sound ID capable of identifying multiple birds. Another pro is that Merlin is completely free to use with downloadable, offline regional bird packs. However, a con of Merlin is that acoustic suggestions can sometimes misidentify species that sound similar. Another con is that it does not submit records directly to UK-based recording scheme.

Birda

Birda is both an identification and recording app. Available on Google Play and the App Store, Birda is a free app with the opportunity to purchase ‘Birda Pro’. You can upload a photo to Birda to identify it. A pro of Birda is that it is an engaging, modern social interface with personal life lists and species challenges. Another pro of Birda is that other, more experienced birders can help verify uncertain photos. However, a con of Birda is that core identification features are limited to photos and not audio.

Recording software

eBird

eBird is managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and is the world’s largest global bird recording platform and citizen-science network. It is a free app and can be downloaded on Google Play and the App Store. A pro of eBird is that it is the global standard for checklists – it supports structued ‘complete checklists’ where you log distance, time, and full counts of all species detected. Another pro of eBird is that it has Merlin integration. A con of eBird is that it is best suited for logging whole birding walks or fixed-time sessions. Another con is that there is no UK local record flow.

iRecord

iRecord is the UK’s official national recording portal. Records entered are verified by County Bird Recorders and flow directly into the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre (if recorded in Sussex) and the NBN Atlas. A pro of iRecord is that it has direct UK data flow, as mentioned above. Another advantage is that it has expert national and county verification – submissions are reviewed directly by County Bird Recorders, Vice-County specialists, and national recording schemes. However, a con is that it can be intimidating for beginners and takes some time to get used to. Another con of eBird is that there is no automated image ID.

iNaturalist

iNaturalist is ideal for sharing photos and sounds for crowdsourced community confirmation. Research-grade records can be collated into local society projects and regional surveys. A pro of iNaturalist is that it has instant, highly accurate automated species suggestions for both image and audio. Another pro is that it is user-friendly and verified by community users. However, a con is that it requires a photo or sound in order to be identifed and verified. Another con is that it has an indirect route to UK local records, they do not feed directly into local biological recording centres automatically.