Date: 4/17/26 3:39 am From: Jennifer Outlaw Coulson via groups.io <jenniferocoulson...> Subject: Re: [labird] MERLIN audio -- warning!
FYI, I've noticed that Merlin sometimes confuses the Osprey's food-begging
vocalization for Swallow-tailed Kite.
Jennifer Coulson
On Thu, Apr 16, 2026 at 7:39 PM Debra Babin via groups.io <Debra.b=
<me.com...> wrote:
> I’ve noticed that Merlin will sometimes pick up a bird that was very far
> away, that I didn’t hear at the time because I was focusing on a closer
> bird. When I see the species light up on the screen, I can switch my
> attention and try to find the other bird(s) that Merlin showed.
>
> This made me aware of another challenge I could face is when two birds are
> calling at the same time and Merlin catches the distant one I didn’t hear,
> but not the closer one I did hear. If those birds were new to me, I could
> be “learning” the wrong things. This is yet another reason not to blindly
> trust Merlin’s output.
>
> Part of me wishes, Merlin would add frog chirps to their app. I sometimes
> get frustrated when nothing shows up on Merlin, then realize it wasn’t a
> bird! 😂
>
> —Debra
>
> On Apr 16, 2026, at 6:51 PM, Michael Bernard via groups.io <mbernard128=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
> Well said. Merlin has really enhanced my birding by ear, especially when
> I am out west or anywhere else I don’t spend much time. But it shouldn’t be
> the sole criterion for a bird record. Great tool when used the right way.
>
> > On Apr 16, 2026, at 5:29 PM, Van Remsen via groups.io <vnremsen=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
> >
> > Before I get accused of "hating Merlin", I should follow-up by making it
> > clear that I think Merlin is great for learning bird songs and detecting
> > species one might not have noticed. It's an amazing tool. What I "hate"
> > is when Merlin output is uncritically considered the same as eBird input.
> > "Trust but Verify" as the saying goes.
> >
> > Van Remsen
> >
> >> On Thu, Apr 16, 2026 at 12:14 PM Van Remsen via groups.io <vnremsen=
> >> <gmail.com...> wrote:
> >>
> >> LABIRD: Most people in this venue have heard multiple times that MERLIN
> >> frequently makes mistakes and should never be relied on as the sole
> >> evidence for an eBird entry. Merlin's own directions emphasize this.
> Yet
> >> many eBirder seem unaware of this and treat Merlin hits as sufficient
> >> evidence for presence.
> >>
> >> Yesterday provided a poignant example. A single Summer Tanager singing
> >> was identified as 3 separate species: Am. Robin, Rose-breasted Grosbeak,
> >> and Summer Tanager. Yes, the same individual bird. Yeah, the songs are
> >> kind of similar but not THAT similar.
> >>
> >> As I have mentioned previously, I did 30 trials of 30 minutes at my
> place
> >> in St. Gabriel and NOT ONE was without 1 to 5 obvious or highly
> suspicious
> >> false positives. Since then, I've done dozens of unofficial trials with
> >> the same outcome. You would think just by chance I'd have a "clean"
> trial
> >> every so often. The most frequent local false positives are Red-eyed
> >> Vireo, House Sparrow, E. Towhee, Baltimore Oriole, Y-b Chat, Am. Robin,
> and
> >> Rock Pigeon. On the other hand, Merlin often misses Fish Crow, Y-b
> Cuckoo,
> >> Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, and Screech Owl if they are more than couple
> >> hundred yards away, and misses Brown Thrasher "Chack" calls even at
> close
> >> range.
> >>
> >> Van Remsen
> >>
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