Going out into the countryside with your mobile phone in your pocket and being able to identify the bird singing overhead is no longer science fiction. Thanks to the artificial intelligence that works even offlineToday it is possible to identify birds by their song on Android almost as if we had an ornithologist in our pocket, and also collaborate with top-level scientific projects.
In this article we will see in detail how these work AI apps to recognize birds by soundWhich ones are the most interesting on Android, which options allow offline use, and what other related tools (photo, biodiversity and citizen science) are worth having installed if you like birdwatching.
How does AI work to recognize birds by their song?
When you record the trill of a blackbird or the song of a nightingale with your mobile phone, you are actually capturing a audio signal that AI transforms into dataApplications such as BirdNET or Merlin Bird ID use neural networks trained with hundreds of thousands of recordings to detect acoustic patterns characteristic of each species.
These models convert sound into a kind of “sound image”, a spectrogram showing frequency and intensity over time. From there, the network compares that pattern with those of thousands of stored songs and estimates which species is most likely to be heard in your recording.
In the case of BirdNET, for example, AI is capable of recognizing more than 3.000 species of birds from around the worldThe more recordings used to train the system, the finer the app's digital ear becomes and the better it distinguishes between similar species or distant, noisy songs.
One of the great advantages of these projects is that they not only allow users to know what bird they are hearing, but also encourage the massive collection of biodiversity dataMany apps encourage users to submit recordings and observations, which helps researchers study bird distribution, migrations, and changes in behavior.
BirdNET: Advanced AI to identify birds by sound
BirdNET is one of the benchmark projects when we talk about AI applied to bird sound recognitionThis is a joint initiative between the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Chemnitz University of Technology, two leading institutions in bioacoustics and machine learning.
It works very simply: with your Android mobile you can record audio directly with the microphoneSelect the segment where you hear the song and let the AI analyze that snippet of sound. In a matter of seconds, BirdNET provides you with a list of likely species along with a confidence level.
The app doesn't just tell you "what kind of bird it is," but also invites you to send your recordings as commentsIn this way, those who use BirdNET help to collect data for scientific studies on birds, geographic distributions, and changes in ecosystems.
One of BirdNET's strengths is its global approach: it is trained to recognize thousands of common species across different continents, making it a A very powerful tool for both European and American users or from other regions. For someone who travels or lives in areas with high bird diversity, this is a significant advantage over more local solutions.
Merlin Bird ID: the “Shazam” for birds, also with offline use
If there's one app that has earned the nickname "Shazam of birds," it's Merlin Bird ID. Developed by Cornell Lab of OrnithologyThis free tool has become a favorite among both beginners and amateur ornithologists worldwide.
Merlin Bird ID allows you to identify birds in three different ways, combining audio and image with the help of AI. On the one hand, the sound mode offers a function of real-time identification of the songYou press the record button, keep the device silent, and let the app listen. As it detects songs, it displays the names of the recognized species on the screen.
The system not only labels the song, but also allows you to reproduce reference recordings of that same species to compare what you've recorded with other examples. This way you can refine your ear and ensure that the suggestion matches what you're actually hearing in the field.
In addition to audio, Merlin Bird ID offers a photo identification mode. Simply take a picture of the bird or select an image from your gallery for the app to attempt to identify it. visually recognize the species using computer visionIn tests carried out by different media, it has been able to correctly identify species as different as a great cormorant in Madrid or a pink-backed pelican in Senegal, although it can sometimes fail if the image is confusing.
The third method of identification is a guided questionnaire: the app asks you things like approximate size, colors, behavior (whether it's on the ground, in a tree, flying, in the water…), in addition to your location and the date. With that information, the system filters the most likely species for your area and time of year.
One particularly useful feature for those who go out into the field with limited coverage is that Merlin allows you to download regional poultry packagesThese packages include sounds, descriptions, and distribution maps for species in a specific area, so you can access information and use the main functions even without an internet connection.
The app also functions as a small digital field guide: you can search for any species to Read a detailed description, listen to different types of songs and callsand view updated distribution maps. For anyone starting out in birdwatching, it's a very accessible way to learn to recognize calls and appearances.
User experiences: Which bird song app works best?
In online forums and communities of birdwatchers, it is common to see discussions about Which sound app works best? for identification. Many people mention Merlin Bird ID as their top choice, precisely because of its combination of modes (song, photo, and questionnaire) and because it is free and constantly being improved.
One user commented, for example, that he lives in Western Europe and that Merlin uses on his birdwatching outingsHowever, he is open to trying new apps if they offer better results. Other enthusiasts recommend testing several apps in parallel, as algorithms can behave differently depending on the species, the noise environment, and the region.
The most reasonable approach is to understand these tools as aids to sharpen your ear and learnnot as infallible oracles. Both the developers of Merlin and other projects insist that their suggestions should be taken as a starting point: it is advisable to compare the recorded sounds with the example recordings and review the species information before considering the identification as certain.
Other apps for identifying fauna and flora on Android
If, in addition to birds, you're interested in knowing what plant, fungus, or even jellyfish you have in front of you, there are applications that expand the concept of "identifier" and apply it to practically any type of organism you can photographThey are perfect tools to make the most of every walk in the countryside, the beach, or even the city.
iNaturalist: a global biodiversity community
iNaturalist began in 2008 as a master's thesis project at the University of California, Berkeley, and has since grown into a joint initiative with the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society. Its philosophy is simple: You take a picture of an organism, upload it, and the app suggests possible species..
iNaturalist's AI generates a list of candidates with a probability percentage, so you know how safe is the suggestionBut what's truly powerful is that behind it is a huge community of experts and amateur naturalists who review the observations and correct or confirm the identifications, making the platform a great citizen science project.
With iNaturalist you can identify practically anything: from a from a jellyfish on the beach to a mushroom in the forestranging from ornamental plants in a botanical garden to small insects in a backyard. In various examples, Japanese camellias, African irises, domestic goats, or jellyfish have been identified with considerable accuracy on the Spanish coast.
Each observation includes the location and date, so you are contributing to building a real-time global biodiversity mapThis data is not only stored in the app, but is also shared with scientific repositories such as the Global Biodiversity Information System (GBIF), where it is integrated into conservation studies and projects.
The project's creators emphasize that even the most common organism, such as the grass in a yard or an ordinary insectThis provides valuable information to the overall picture. Thanks to the large number of observations, researchers can detect changes in distribution, biological invasions, or the effects of climate change with a level of detail that was previously impossible.
Google Lens on Android phones
In the Android ecosystem, a very useful tool for identify plants and animals Image capture is done through Google Lens. It can be downloaded as a standalone app, but it also usually comes bundled with other apps. integrated into the camera of many Android phonesIts use is as simple as taking a photo, opening it in the gallery and pressing the Lens icon (a small viewfinder with a square in the center).
By doing so, the app analyzes the image using computer vision models trained on billions of photos, and shows you similar images along with the likely name of the speciesIf confidence is high, you'll see a single suggestion; if the algorithm is unsure, it may show several options for you to compare.
Google explains that the system uses internal probabilities: for example, if for a given dog it estimates a 95% probability that it is a German Shepherd and a 5% probability that it is a Corgi, Lens It will only show the German Shepherd option. because it considers it visually much more likely. That same approach applies to the recognition of plants and other animals.
In tests with real fauna and flora, Google Lens has proven capable of to accurately identify species such as camellias, coatis, or Central American agoutisIn addition, it usually offers direct access to a Google search on the suggested species, linking to fact sheets, articles, and more reference photos.
Visual Search on iPhone as an alternative
Even if you're focusing on Android, it's worth mentioning that iPhone users also have a built-in feature for recognizing living things. It's called Visual Search. AI included in the operating system itself to identify not only monuments and works of art, but also plants and animals, without the need to install additional apps.
When you open a photo in the Photos app and the system detects something recognizable, a special icon appears on the information button: it might be an "i" with stars, a leaf, or a fingerprint, depending on the type of content. Tapping that icon gives you access to Information about the species, similar images, and links to sources like Wikipedia.
In tests reported by various media outlets, Visual Search has correctly identified species such as Camellia japonica in plants, as well as breeds of dogs, giraffes or zebras, always showing a brief description and resources to expand information.
Specialized apps for ornithology and citizen science
In addition to AI-based identifiers, there are numerous applications geared towards systematic bird observation and citizen scienceMany have been driven by conservation organizations such as SEO/BirdLife, which encourage rigorous data recording to be useful in long-term monitoring projects.
Coinciding with symbolic dates such as World Meteorological Day or the beginning of spring, these organizations encourage people to get out into the countryside to “birding”, learning and sharing observationsThe idea is to take advantage of digital tools to replace (or complement) the old field notebooks with more complete, accurate and easier-to-send electronic records.
Recording information directly from a mobile device represents a significant improvement in the quality and quantity of the data collectedPreviously, many notes were left forgotten in notebooks, or were never digitized. With the right apps, data is entered into centralized databases almost in real time, reducing errors and loss of information.
Bird Tracking App and other tools from SEO/BirdLife
SEO/BirdLife has developed a whole family of applications to facilitate participation in bird monitoring programs in SpainThe most general is the Bird Tracking App, designed for those who participate in projects such as Sacre, Noctua or Sacin, which focus on common diurnal, nocturnal or other categories of birds.
These programs consist of conducting standardized censuses year after year, following well-defined protocols. Thanks to this, they can detect population trends, declines or increases in different species, something key to guiding conservation policies and land management.
In addition to the general app, there are specific applications for particular tasks. The Census App, for example, focuses on record locations of colonies, territories and roosts during the breeding season, which is essential to protect key areas.
For the case of waterfowl, the Aquatic App has been developed, which allows users to record the species observed in wetlands throughout SpainIt includes a census history from the last 50 years, providing a valuable temporal perspective. The app itself also helps locate nearby wetlands you may not have known existed.
There are also tools dedicated to recording conservation issues. The ICAO app is used for document bird mortality on the coastshelping to identify threats in the marine environment. Other SEO/BirdLife working groups have their own Working Groups App to record observations of rare, scarce, or exotic birds, so that the available information on these groups can be quickly updated.
Finally, Natura Alert deserves a mention, an app designed to report on environmental threatsespecially in Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), although it can be used to flag hazards anywhere in the country. It complements the Infrastructure Mortality App, designed to record wildlife roadkill, which significantly affects species such as the Iberian lynx, scavenging birds of prey, and nocturnal birds like little owls and nightjars.
Along with these apps, SEO/BirdLife also recommends using the Birds of Spain app, a digital guide to the most common species of the country, and participate in activities and organized outings to learn how to identify birds in the field.
Apps for learning to identify songs through play
If you want to train your ear before diving into AI apps, there are more playful applications whose objective is to Learn birdsong in an entertaining wayOne example is Avefy, which offers exercises and games to practice auditory identification.
Another tool mentioned in the SEO/BirdLife environment is Avizor, geared towards learn to count birds through playThese types of applications combine fun and learning, making them especially suitable for children, families, and educators who want to introduce ornithology into educational activities.
Bird Sound Identifier, Bird ID, and other bird identifiers
Commercial applications focused on identify birds using both photos and soundTaking advantage of the popularity of birdwatching, a prime example is Bird Sound Identifier Bird ID, which presents itself as an app designed for bird lovers seeking an all-in-one solution.
These types of apps usually allow two ways to use them: you can take or upload a photo of the birdor record its song or call. From there, the integrated AI attempts to recognize the species and displays a profile with photos, descriptions, and, in some cases, distribution maps.
In the specific case of Bird Sound Identifier Bird ID, its developers highlight that the app is capable of distinguishing more than 10.000 bird species globally. It also includes curated photo collections to aid in visual comparison, and an interface designed to be simple so that anyone can use it without technical complications.
The app is quite insistent on being a educational tool for both adults and childrenThis resource is designed for parents and teachers who want to explain biodiversity, ecology, and the importance of conserving bird habitats. By identifying bird songs and observing birds in the local environment, it fosters curiosity about nature and promotes family learning.
Promotional texts emphasize accompanying the user at different times of the day: if you are one of those who He goes out at dawn to listen to the morning choir Whether you prefer the songs of dusk, the app is designed to recognize sounds at any time of day. Everything is structured so that every trill, chirp, or call becomes a learning opportunity.
These types of solutions usually combine several functions (bird identifier, illustrated guide, song player, etc.) with the aim of becoming complete companions for birdwatchingHowever, it is worth bearing in mind that their algorithms and databases may not be as endorsed by scientific institutions as those of open projects like Merlin or BirdNET.
Advantages of recording and sharing observations
Beyond the personal curiosity of knowing "what kind of bird it is," the great contribution of these tools is that they allow thousands of ordinary users to become collaborators on conservation projectsEvery recording of song, every photo uploaded, and every list of birds observed on an outing can end up being valuable data for science.
Platforms like eBird, integrated with mobile apps, make it easy for any observer to record sightings. what species does he see, how many, where and whengenerating data series that allow monitoring of population status. SEO/BirdLife's apps follow the same approach: transforming recreational birdwatching into useful information to understand which species are declining, which are expanding, and which areas are critical for their survival.
Compared to old paper field notebooks, the use of apps increases both the quantity as well as the accuracy of the data collectedAutomatic geolocation, the exact date and time, and the ability to attach photos or recordings reduce errors and make records auditable, which is vital when they are going to be used in conservation decisions.
For the user, these apps also function as a personal diary: you can view your observation historyReview which species you've seen in each location, or plan trips and outings based on sighting maps. All of this strengthens your connection with the environment and helps you appreciate the biodiversity around you.
Taken together, all these tools—from AI that recognizes songs offline to citizen science platforms and visual guides—are changing the way we relate to birds and the rest of the fauna and flora.
With a simple Android phone in their pocket, anyone can learn to identify species, collaborate on scientific projects and enjoy each walk through the countryside, the city or the beach much more, feeling that you are part of a global community of observers and nature lovers. Share this guide so that more users can learn about the topic.