Birding Technology
eBird vs Merlin: what each one is for
The Feather Journal editorial team · Updated September 8, 2026 · 5 min read
Quick answer
Merlin helps you identify a bird from a photo, a sound or a short description. eBird is a global observation database where birders submit checklists that support research and conservation. Both come from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and many birders use them together.
What Merlin is good at
- Identifying birds from photos and sound
- Narrowing candidates with a few simple questions
- Regional bird packs for browsing what's around you
- Getting a beginner from 'some brown bird' to a name, fast
What eBird is good at
- Structured checklists tied to time, place and effort
- Contributing observations that researchers actually use
- Hotspot data and range maps built from millions of records
- Regional and personal totals
Where a personal journal is different
Both tools are outstanding at their jobs, and neither is trying to be a personal memory of your birding life. A checklist is a scientific record; it isn't where you write that the heron stood in the same reeds for twenty minutes while it rained.
That's the gap Feather Journal is built for: your sightings with their photos, notes and places, an automatic life list, your trips, and a journal you'd want to read again.
Using them together
A common pattern: identify with Merlin when you're unsure, submit the checklist to eBird when the outing was structured enough to be useful data, and keep the personal side — the photos, the notes, the story — in your own journal.
Frequently asked questions
Are eBird and Merlin the same organisation?
Yes. Both are projects of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Does Feather Journal replace eBird?
No. If you want your observations to support science, keep submitting to eBird. Feather Journal is your personal record.
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