 |  |  | ||
Information for the world's 10,000+ bird species are divided into regional bird packs in Merlin. |
| For some parts of the world, we offer smaller regional bird packs. |
Quick Links
- About bird packs
- How do I install a new Bird Pack?
- How do I delete a Bird Pack?
- Why is there an update button on a bird pack?
About bird packs
Merlin’s free bird identification tool and field guide can help you identify more than 10,000 species of birds. These species are divided up into bird packs, which allow you to download just the species found in a given region. Choosing what content to download lets you personalize Merlin to cover your regions of interest and reduces the demand on your phone’s storage.
Merlin can use your phone’s location to suggest the pack for the region nearest to you. You can download just your local region or download packs from around the world!
Photo ID and Sound ID will work without downloading any bird packs, but it won’t have any information about the species they suggest! Downloading bird packs will let you compare photos, ID tips, and sounds of the suggested species right in the app. Once the bird pack is downloaded, you can also use the 5-Question ID wizard. Plus, all of the information in the bird pack will be available offline for easy reference any time.
How do I install a new bird pack?
Open Merlin, and tap on the "Settings" tab at the bottom of the screen. Tap on "Bird Packs." On this page, you can view recommended packs for a specific location, or browse all packs for the world.
How do I delete a bird pack?
From the bird pack list, you can delete a bird pack by tapping on the description, and then selecting the Delete button.
With an iPhone, you can also swipe from right to left on an installed pack to get a quick delete button. This can be useful when the pack you want to delete has an available update which hides the delete button.
If you are unable to delete a bird pack, you may need to delete and reinstall the entire Merlin app.
Why is there an update button on a bird pack?
The team at the Macaulay Library is constantly adding new audio and photos to Merlin, and we continue to add, edit, and translate more identification text. Additionally, when a species is split into two species, or there is a name change, we update Merlin to account for this. Tapping the update button will download the new info so your Merlin Bird ID app is always up to date.