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Identify a bird from a video or a recording

BirdHere can analyse the sound in a video or audio file you already have and list the birds it hears, section by section, on your iPhone. Import is part of World Pass. Merlin also imports audio recordings and is free.

Updated 30 September 2026

In this guideHow to do itGetting a usable result from a clipHonest limitsQuestionsSources

How to do it

  1. Save the clip to the Files app. In Photos, share the video and choose Save to Files. Audio recordings from Voice Memos can be shared to Files the same way.
  2. Open Import in BirdHere. On the Listen screen, tap Import and choose the file. Import needs World Pass.
  3. Read the result section by section. BirdHere analyses the audio in short sections and shows where in the clip each bird was strongest, so you can replay that part.
  4. Confirm or reject it yourself. Your decision is what goes into the journal. If the clip is mostly wind, traffic or talking, BirdHere says so.

Getting a usable result from a clip

  • Phone video compresses sound and picks up handling noise. The closer and cleaner the bird, the better any identifier will do.
  • Location matters for a recording made elsewhere: choose the region where the clip was recorded, not where you are now.
  • Nothing is uploaded. The file is analysed on the phone.
  • Free routes: Merlin Bird ID imports audio recordings, and the BirdNET project offers a browser demo and a desktop analyser.

Honest limits

BirdHere reports what it cannot tell you rather than filling the gap with a confident guess.

  • Import is a World Pass feature; the free tier identifies live twelve-second recordings only.
  • A video with music or narration over the bird may not contain enough clean sound.
  • BirdHere can be wrong and is not a substitute for expert confirmation.

Try it on your next walk

BirdHere is free to download for iPhone. Unlimited twelve-second identifications and one home region are included.

Download BirdHere on the App Store

Questions

Can I identify a bird from a video?

Yes, if the video has the bird’s sound. BirdHere reads the audio track of a video file; it does not identify birds from the picture.

Which files can I import?

Audio and video files that your iPhone can play, chosen from the Files app.

Is there a free way to do this?

Yes. Merlin Bird ID can import audio recordings at no cost, and you can play the clip aloud and use BirdHere’s free twelve-second listen, although re-recording through a speaker loses quality.

Is my file uploaded?

No. It is analysed on your iPhone.

Sources

  • Merlin Sound ID help, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  • BirdNET, BirdNET team

Keep reading

  • Identify birds by sound with no signal
  • Identify a bird by its song on iPhone
  • A bird identifier that keeps your recordings
  • Merlin vs BirdNET vs BirdHere
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