Megan Szostak, 26, was always a "bird kid"—she inherited her grandfather's binoculars and a field guide in San Francisco. But now, her toolbelt includes an app.
Merlin Bird ID, developed by Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology, has been downloaded 12 million times in 2026 alone, according to director Jessie Barry. The app, which launched in the US in 2014 with the ability to identify 285 common species from photos, can now identify 11,000 species—nearly every bird on Earth.
“Merlin Bird ID downloaded 12m times in 2026, attracting Gen Z birders with AI identification.”
Barry attributes the leap to AI and "an amazing community of global bird watchers who are able to submit their recordings," feeding more data to the machine learning system. The Sound ID tool has been used for 4.4 billion identifications.
Megan says friends who were "more just curious about nature" recommended Merlin to her. "I think that it's been a really great tool that I've integrated into my birding routine," she said.
Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower reports that rival app Birda has seen 31% more downloads this year. The surge reflects a growing interest among young people. "We can definitely see the shift to younger audiences," Barry added.
Seasoned birdwatchers caution that the app doesn't always get it right, and charities urge against relying on it for official sightings. Yet the numbers speak for themselves: with 42 million total downloads, Merlin has become an unlikely entry point for a new generation of birders.