“I’m obsessed with Merlin – it’s wonderful and it’s been a joy to me,” says Walter, a writer and human rights activist. It’s the one good thing!”View image in fullscreen Screenshots of the Merlin app in action. Merlin has been trained to identify the songs of more than 1,300 species around the world, with more birds added twice a year. “My fear at first was I wouldn’t actually learn because I’m outsourcing my understanding of birds to this app,” says Walter. “It really brings you closer to the natural world, rather than it being disconnected from your life.

Source: The Guardian December 27, 2025 16:31 UTC