App Overview

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab icon

Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab

Cornell University · Reference

What's that bird? Ask Merlin—the world’s leading app for birds

Free · In-app purchases

PRICE
Free
In-app purchases
BUSINESS MODEL
Freemium
No overall Grossing estimate available
RATING
4.9
112,481 ratings · Top 5%

Evidence scope: No current overall US chart position is available. Category-chart positions shown in discovery are a separate scope. Revenue is a directional model estimate, not verified earnings.

Build your own version

Build Kit

Make this idea yours

A product spec, screen plans, and build steps for your coding agent.

First kit free with a verified email

Add to a Remix

Combine features and design from your favorite apps.

Kit ready. Verify your email to download it.

What's included17 files

A product spec, phased build plan, differentiation notes, and screen references.

  • START_HERE
  • AGENTS
  • EVIDENCE
  • SPEC
  • BUILD_PLAN
  • DIFFERENTIATION
  • skills/
  • screens/
Preview a sample Build Kit No email needed

Illustrative example: an invoice app for independent contractors. Your kit is tailored to the app you choose; this is not its generated content.

Feature spec

Goal: Send a clear invoice after finishing a job.

  • Add a client, line items, a due date, and payment instructions.
  • Preview the total before exporting a PDF.
  • Keep an editable draft if export fails.

Screen plan

Invoice editor: Client at the top, editable line items in the middle, total and preview action at the bottom.

States: Empty draft, validation errors beside each field, exporting, and a retry action that preserves the draft.

Differentiate and validate

Hypothesis: Contractors need faster repeat invoices more than more templates.

First experiment: Test duplicating a previous job with five contractors. Watch where they hesitate before expanding the feature set.

The full kit adds a phased build plan, evidence notes, tool prompts, and implementation guidance. It is a plan for your coding agent, not a finished app.

Usage: Mechanics are fair game; never reuse the original name, branding, assets, or verbatim copy.

JavaScript is required to complete mailbox verification.

Free quick prompt For a smaller starting point

Quick prompt

> SELECT BUILD PLATFORM:

Good fit for mobile-first iOS and Android prototypes with managed app scaffolding.

// RORK SYSTEM PROMPT
Rork plan preview for Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab: map the core Reference workflow, choose the smallest differentiated feature set, define the data and monetization boundaries, then prototype the riskiest user journey first.
            

Preview ready. Verify your email to reveal and copy the full prompt.

JavaScript is required to complete mailbox verification. Return to this prompt preview.

Continue in Rork copies the full prompt to your clipboard first, then opens Rork in a new tab.

Continue in Rork >

Affiliate link: CloneChart may earn a commission at no extra cost

Opportunities

AI-GENERATED OPPORTUNITY HYPOTHESES

These are generated suggestions, not verified review quotations. Check current App Store reviews and speak with users before treating a possible gap as a requirement.

Hypothesis 1

Implement offline caching of bird data.

Assumption to check: Limited offline functionality

Validate with people who use this workflow before building.

Hypothesis 2

Enhance image recognition algorithms.

Assumption to check: Difficulty identifying birds with poor images

Validate with people who use this workflow before building.

Hypothesis 3

Create onboarding tutorials and tips.

Assumption to check: Overwhelming for new users

Validate with people who use this workflow before building.

Hypothesis 4

Add more social sharing features.

Assumption to check: Limited sharing options

Validate with people who use this workflow before building.

App evidence

Original App Store material. Ratings and screenshots describe the existing app, not proof of demand for your version.

App Store description

What's that bird? Ask Merlin—the world’s leading app for birds. Just like magic, Merlin Bird ID will help you solve the mystery. Merlin helps you identify birds you see and hear. Merlin is unlike any other bird app—it's powered by eBird, the world’s largest database of bird sightings, sounds, and photos. Merlin offers four fun ways to identify birds. Answer a few simple questions, upload a photo, record a singing bird, or explore birds in a region. Whether you’re curious about a bird you’ve seen once or you’re hoping to identify every bird you can find, the answers are waiting for you with this free app from the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology. WHY YOU’LL LOVE MERLIN • Expert ID tips, range maps, photos, and sounds help you learn about the birds you spot and build birding skills. • Discover a new bird species each day with your own personalized Bird of the Day • Get customized lists of birds you can find where you live or travel - anywhere in the world! • Keep track of your sightings—build your personal list of the birds you find MACHINE LEARNING MAGIC • Powered by Visipedia, Merlin Sound ID and Photo ID uses machine learning to identify birds in photos and sounds. Merlin learns to recognize bird species based on training sets of millions of photos and sounds collected by birders at eBird.org, archived in the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. • Merlin delivers the most accurate results thanks to experienced birders, who curate and annotate sightings, photos, and sounds, who are the true magic behind Merlin. AMAZING CONTENT • Merlin has bird photos, songs, and calls, and identification help for anywhere in the world, including Mexico, Costa Rica, South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India, Australia, Korea, Japan, China, and more. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s mission is to interpret and conserve the Earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds and nature. We are able to offer Merlin for free thanks to the generosity of Cornell Lab members, supporters, and citizen-science contributors.

Written user reviews are not shown here. Check current App Store reviews >

Screenshots

< Scroll to see more >

Build scope

Plan a focused first version with your coding agent. These are planning assumptions, not a delivery guarantee.

Define the first version

Choose one audience and one core workflow. Use the kit to agree on its screens, data, and acceptance criteria before building.

Set boundaries

Decide which secondary features, integrations, and platform support can wait. Your version does not need to reproduce everything in the original.

Check the hard parts

Validate external services, specialist technology, data access, and ongoing costs for your chosen scope.

SUGGESTED BUILD STACK
React Native
Expo
Supabase
@react-navigation/native
expo-camera
expo-image-picker
BUILD KIT DIFFICULTY
Advanced

From the Build Kit assessment.

A reliable timeline needs an agreed scope and a technical check. Ask your agent to estimate the phases in BUILD_PLAN.md after that review.