Watch the Video

Join Bird Diva Bridget Butler for the first of two online tech talks focused on using smartphone apps for birding. She’ll kick off the series by introducing how to use the Merlin app to identify birds by sight and sound and explore how eBird and Merlin are connected.

The Merlin app has become a beloved tool of many beginner and experienced birders as it serves the role of field guide, real-time local guide, and now bird song identifier. Bridget will share a brief overview of the app and then cover the different features of the app including bird id, sound id, photo id, and the explore feature. This app has made birding more accessible to a wider audience of people interested in connecting with birds and provides a roadmap to how to identify birds wherever you are!

Participants should consider uploading the app to their cell phone before this talk. Having your cell phone handy during the presentation will allow you to play with features as they’re discussed.

Bridget has used eBird and Merlin personally and professionally since 2004. She oversees the Birder Broker project in Vermont which uses eBird to document breeding birds on private lands with the help of birders and landowners. She also serves on the Vermont Bird Records Committee and is on the board of the Green Mountain Audubon Chapter. You can learn more about her work at www.birddiva.com.

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