Merlin was on the job at Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis Park one recent day, helping birders identify bird songs. Not Merlin the storied magician, although what was happening could be ...

Birding is a popular pastime for people of all ages. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, more than 45 million people enjoy watching birds. It’s a hobby you can pick up at any time, it’s ...

I first discovered Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab of Ornithology earlier this summer, when I was trying to figure out the identity of a particular bird of prey in my neighborhood. After looking at a ...

Countryside living. Getting on a bit. It was only a matter of time before I gave into certain impulses: I’m curious about birdlife. It’s a curiosity that’s at risk of developing into outright ...

They returned to our forests and fields right on time. Despite the chilly temperatures in May, there can be no escaping the turn of the seasons and our annual trip around the sun. The earth warms, ...

Before the summer sun sends a sliver of light over the horizon, the dawn chorus begins. It is still dark and wood thrushes and pewees, cardinals and robins are singing, their melodies punctuated by ...

Back in the day, we did not have an app that could tell us what birds we were hearing. Now we have Merlin from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Press “record” on this free app, and it listens to ...

Springtime and the world in early May is alive with birdsong before sunrise: to some, a discordant cacophony, to others, a heavenly, harmonious chorus. Gone are the days when you just grabbed your ...

“Attenborough’s Wonder of Song” showcases seven remarkable animal songs found in nature and explores the role song plays in animal survival. Even their names sound exotic: superb fairy wren and the ...