# Identify birds through calls

**URL:** <https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/identify-birds-through-calls/84657>\
**Category:** General\
**Tags:** question\
**Created:** [August 28, 2026, 9:35pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/identify-birds-through-calls/84657 "2026-08-28T21:35:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mezh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@mezh](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/mezh)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 9:35pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/identify-birds-through-calls/84657/1 "2026-08-28T21:35:39Z")

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I’d like to identify birds through their calls. Can I upload bird calls ? Please explain how.

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**Author:** ![bouteloua](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/bouteloua/32/1180_2.png) [@bouteloua](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/bouteloua)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 9:46pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/identify-birds-through-calls/84657/3 "2026-08-28T21:46:23Z")

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Yes, see [https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000169939-how-do-i-add-sounds-](https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000169939-how-do-i-add-sounds-) and let us know if you run into any questions.

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**Author:** ![AdamWargon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/adamwargon/32/44649_2.png) [@AdamWargon](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/AdamWargon)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2026, 9:49pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/identify-birds-through-calls/84657/4 "2026-08-28T21:49:36Z")

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Also see:

[https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000169928-what-kind-of-photos-or-sounds-should-i-attach-to-observations-](https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000169928-what-kind-of-photos-or-sounds-should-i-attach-to-observations-)

[https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000170791-adding-a-photo-or-sound-to-an-observation-on-the-inaturalist-website-video-tutorial](https://help.inaturalist.org/en/support/solutions/articles/151000170791-adding-a-photo-or-sound-to-an-observation-on-the-inaturalist-website-video-tutorial)

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**Author:** ![ritaclare](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/ritaclare/32/73736_2.png) [@ritaclare](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/ritaclare)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 10:29am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/identify-birds-through-calls/84657/5 "2026-08-29T10:29:34Z")

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I would recommend not going to iNat first for this. Check out the Merlin ID App from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It is very widely used by birders of all levels. If you have an audio file you need to upload for ID, check out BirdNET, which is also from Cornell but uses a different algorithm. You should still make an iNat observation if you want, but the amount of birding data Cornell has for its detection algorithms is unparalleled.

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**Author:** ![tiwane](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/tiwane/32/54612_2.png) [@tiwane](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/tiwane)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 9:18pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/identify-birds-through-calls/84657/6 "2026-08-29T21:18:27Z")

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Just noting that Merlin is awesome but of course not perfect and does make mistakes, so don’t blindly trust it.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 9:18pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/identify-birds-through-calls/84657/7 "2026-08-31T21:18:44Z")

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