Megan Szostak had always been a “bird kid”. Growing up in San Francisco, she inherited her grandfather’s binoculars after he died and spent years flicking through a field guide to identify the birds flitting past. Now, at 26, she has added a more modern tool to her kit: Merlin Bird ID, an app that claims to identify almost any bird by its look, song or call.
“I had friends who probably wouldn’t describe themselves as birders, but more just curious about nature and the world around them, recommend it to me,” she said. Megan is one of millions who have downloaded Merlin, developed by Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology. The app has been downloaded 12 million times in 2026 alone, according to director Jessie Barry, bringing its total to 42 million downloads.
“Merlin Bird ID app downloaded 12 million times in 2026, with Gen Z driving a birdwatching boom.”
Launched in the US in 2014, Merlin could originally identify 285 common bird species from photos. Now, thanks to machine learning and a global community of birdwatchers who submit recordings, it recognises 11,000 species – roughly as many as exist on Earth. “An amazing community of global bird watchers who are able to submit their recordings,” Barry said, attributing the leap to AI and user data.
The popularity of such apps is surging. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower reported that Birda, another identification app, has seen 31% more downloads this year. Cornell says its Sound ID tool has been used for 4.4 billion identifications.
Seasoned birdwatchers caution that Merlin does not always get it right. Some experts and charities urge against relying on it too heavily, especially for official sightings. Still, the apps are drawing a new generation. “We have minimal demographic information, but we can definitely see the shift to younger audiences,” Barry said. Reports suggest Gen Z birders have flocked to nature reserves, and Barry noted that those sharing their Merlin experiences often say they are “just getting started birding for the first time.”