Identify birdsong on iPhone

Talk is cheep with this amazing app for birding enthusiasts

- CARRIE MARSHALL

REQUIRES

Merlin Bird ID, (Free, https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org)

YOU WILL LEARN

How to instantly identify birds by sound

IT WILL TAKE

10 minutes

GENIUS TIP

Set an alarm: the best time of day to hear birdsong is during the dawn chorus, which runs from just before the sun rises each morning.

BIRDSONG IS ONE of the big joys of the great outdoors, but it’s not always easy to work out what kind of bird is singing: while some birds’ voices are well-known, there’s almost infinite variety of birdsong and calls. That’s where your iPhone can help. All you need to do is record the sound, and your birdsong app can tell you what you’re hearing, and give you lots of interesting information.

There are all kinds of apps for bird recognition. Some, like ChirpOMatic, are subscription-based and offer extra features, such as recording on your Apple Watch to then transfer the audio to your iPhone. But the gold standard is Merlin Bird ID, which is completely free, and regularly triumphs in comparison tests. It’s made by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, has an absolutely massive database of birds from around the world, and can recognize birds from your iPhone camera. It's also really easy to use, and delivers great results fast.

CHOOSE YOUR CHIRP TIMES