Date: 4/19/26 7:20 am From: Bill Fontenot via groups.io <williamrodneyfontenot...> Subject: Re: [labird] MERLIN audio -- warning!
Guess my thoughts on this matter are somewhat irrelevant re: this issue as I’m no longer able to bird “by eye”. Regardless, my hearing is still quite good.
In my opinion, nothing beats the old-school method of learning birds by ear: when you hear a bird that you can’t identify by ear — or even a bird that you think you already know by ear but the bird’s vocalizations sound a little “off” — simply track the bird down and get a visual ID. In that process, the repeated vocalizations as you search, combined with the final visual ID serve to reinforce the audio learning experience. Begin with local birds to build your brain’s audio baseline and build your database from there.
Using this method you’ll learn far more than Merlin. You’ll learn entire ranges of sounds made by each species (e.g. Carolina Wren). You’ll learn the mimics’ trickery (e.g. N Mocker, E Starling, Blue Jay). And most importantly you’ll learn to discern the voices of birds that you don’t know, which often turn out to be rarities.
Re: Merlin, soon enough it will become able to properly ID any bird it can hear. I’m guessing there are also visual ID apps in the works if not already available. A “birder” will simply need the skill to use a smartphone. Gone will be critical thinking and the excitement of the chase.
Happy “Birding”!
Bill Fontenot
Lafayette, LA
> On Apr 19, 2026, at 8:33 AM, Jay V Huner via groups.io <jay.huner1...> wrote:
>
> If you cannot hear a bird’s vocalizations, Merlin is a miraculous aid. Clearly, if habitat is wrong and timing is wrong and you cannot find the bird, Merlin is mistaken or is recording a mimic.
> ________________________________
> From: <labird...> <labird...> on behalf of Charles Williams via groups.io <chazbizz91...>
> Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2026 10:12 PM
> To: Paul Conover <zoiseaux...>
> Cc: Harriett Pooler <harriett.pooler...>; <vnremsen...> <vnremsen...>; Labird <labird...>
> Subject: Re: [labird] MERLIN audio -- warning!
>
> CAUTION: This email originated from outside of UL Lafayette. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
>
>
> Well I'll take a slightly contrarian view and say I've enjoyed sorting out
> the rights, wrongs and maybes of what Merlin reports. On a recent visit to
> the Central sports park Merlin reported three species that would have been
> firsts for the site: limpkin, mallard and eastern meadowlark. Limpkin and
> meadowlark were both realistic albeit longshot possibilities given the
> habitat. But neither could be found after a close check of that habitat.
> So I concluded that known multilingual species, numerous in the area
> (starlings, blue jays, mockingbirds etc) must have been the source of the
> misidentified calls.
>
> Charles W
>
>> On Fri, Apr 17, 2026, 10:13 PM Paul Conover via groups.io <zoiseaux=
>> <lusfiber.net...> wrote:
>>
>> Harriet, Labird,
>>
>> I guess the first thing I'd check is a physical cause such as a
>> blocked microphone opening which might get lint or dust in it. In terms
>> of the inner workings of the app, I've had similar issues where no
>> species show up even when I hear singing close by, but it seems like
>> after a short delay the list sometimes populates and seems fine after
>> that. I just assume that's a glitch either in the program or the
>> connection, or possibly just that my phone has too many apps open. I
>> sometimes close all apps and reopen just Merlin. It tends to work, but
>> it may just be by chance. Another possibility is that the location isn't
>> set to the right geographical area, but it would take a bit of doing to
>> accidentally alter that setting. Updating the sound packets for each
>> region probably improves performance as well, but Merlin often reminds
>> me to update right when I'm in the middle of using the app in the field
>>
>> However, that does bring up an interesting and (to me) annoying
>> limitation with Merlin. If a species isn't expected where I'm birding,
>> Merlin typically just ignores it. I understand that Merlin needs to
>> narrow down the possibilities because many birds around the world make
>> similar sounds, but ideally if a really rare bird is present, it would
>> sure be nice if Merlin would tell me. When I think a rarity is present,
>> I've had to turn off the phone's GPS and manually switch the location in
>> the app to a location on Earth where that species is normally found or
>> Merlin won't admit that the bird is present. Off course, that reset
>> opens a Pandora's box where every vocal species present might get
>> misidentified as an exotic cousin.
>>
>> Merlin is a work in progress, but eventually if enough good
>> input is confirmed, it seems like the output will become reliable.
>> Birders like you and Van that state the shortcomings and glitches in the
>> program are probably doing the app a big favor by calling attention to
>> its flaws, and certainly doing the birding community a favor by making
>> everyone think twice about its results.
>>
>>
>> Paul Conover
>>
>> Lafayette
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> On 4/17/26 7:49 PM, Harriett Pooler wrote:
>>> Van, Paul, and LaBird:
>>>
>>> I’ve had some false positives with Merlin too, and hearing in my right
>> ear isn’t what it used to be; however, my main problem is that Merlin
>> checks out at times and doesn’t pick up any birds or just some at other
>> times. I’ve seen this often on bird walks with multiple people whose Merlin
>> picks up birds while mine is on vacation. I’ve deleted the app and then
>> reinstalled which seems to help for a while. It is almost like it knows
>> there are other birders on Merlin in the same area and doesn’t put the
>> effort on all iPhones. Any suggestions?
>>>
>>> Harriett Pooler
>>> Baton Rouge
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
