Help Expand Merlin in India
More than 150 recordings of each bird species are needed to train Merlin to identify a species by sound, but only 20% of bird species worldwide have enough recordings in eBird and the Macaulay Library.
You can help Merlin Sound ID learn new species and expand to new areas by making sound recordings, uploading them to eBird checklists, and tagging the background species audible in the recording.

Target Species
Updated: 5 June 2025
The species below are all nearing the threshold of 150 recordings that are required to start training Merlin Sound ID to learn the species. They are listed in order of frequency, with the most commonly observed species first and least common listed last. With your help, we can reach 150+ for each species!
- Kalij Pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos)
- Red Collared-Dove (Red Turtle-Dove) (Streptopelia tranquebarica)
- Grey-fronted Green-Pigeon (Pompadour Green-Pigeon) (Treron affinis)
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles exustus)
- Blue-faced Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus viridirostris)
- Crested Treeswift (Hemiprocne coronata)
- Sarus Crane (Antigone antigone)
- Great Thick-knee (Great Stone-curlew) (Esacus recurvirostris)
- River Lapwing (Vanellus duvaucelii)
- Gray-headed Lapwing (Vanellus cinereus)
- Tibetan Sand-Plover (Lesser Sand-Plover) (Anarhynchus atrifrons)
- Temminck’s Stint (Calidris temminckii)
- Barred Buttonquail (Turnix suscitator)
- Cinnamon Bittern (Botaurus cinnamomeus)
- Yellow Bittern (Botaurus sinensis)
- Indian Pond-Heron (Ardeola grayii)
- Eastern Cattle-Egret (Ardea coromanda)
- Short-toed Snake-Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)
- White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Icthyophaga leucogaster)
- White-eyed Buzzard (Butastur teesa)
- Brown Fish-Owl (Ketupa zeylonensis)
- Blue-bearded Bee-eater (Nyctyornis athertoni)
- European Roller (Coracias garrulus)
- Indochinese Roller (Black-billed Roller) (Coracias affinis)
- Heart-spotted Woodpecker (Hemicircus canente)
- Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Indian Pygmy Woodpecker) (Yungipicus nanus)
- Yellow-crowned Woodpecker (Leiopicus mahrattensis)
- Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos macei)
- Greater Yellownape (Chrysophlegma flavinucha)
- Slaty-headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana)
- Long-tailed Minivet (Pericrocotus ethologus)
- Oriental Cuckooshrike (Coracina javensis)
- Black-winged Cuckooshrike (Lalage melaschistos)
- Malabar Woodshrike (Tephrodornis sylvicola)
- Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike (Hemipus picatus)
- Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus remifer)
- Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus)
- Gray-backed Shrike (Lanius tephronotus)
- Yellow-billed Blue Magpie (Urocissa flavirostris)
- Yellow-bellied Fantail (Chelidorhynx hypoxanthus)
- Himalayan Black-lored Tit (Machlolophus xanthogenys)
- Indian Yellow Tit (Machlolophus aplonotus)
- Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark (Ashy-crowned Finch-Lark) (Eremopterix griseus)
- Bengal Bushlark (Plocealauda assamica)
- Himalayan Prinia (Striated Prinia) (Prinia crinigera)
- Grey-throated Martin (Plain Martin) (Riparia chinensis)
- Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii)
- Streak-throated Swallow (Petrochelidon fluvicola)
- White-throated Bulbul (Alophoixus flaveolus)
- Ashy Bulbul (Hemixos flavala)
- Ashy-throated Warbler (Phylloscopus maculipennis)
- Lemon-rumped Warbler (Phylloscopus chloronotus)
- Sulphur-bellied Warbler (Phylloscopus griseolus)
- Tickell’s Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus affinis)
- Stripe-throated Yuhina (Yuhina gularis)
- Black-chinned Babbler (Cyanoderma pyrrhops)
- Beautiful Sibia (Heterophasia pulchella)
- Blue-winged Minla (Actinodura cyanouroptera)
- Chestnut-tailed Minla (Bar-throated Siva) (Actinodura strigula)
- Rusty-fronted Barwing (Actinodura egertoni)
- Striated Babbler (Argya earlei)
- White-tailed Nuthatch (Sitta himalayensis)
- Indian Nuthatch (Sitta castanea)
- Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch (Sitta cinnamoventris)
- Bar-tailed Treecreeper (Certhia himalayana)
- Malabar Starling (Blyth’s Starling) (Sturnia blythii)
- Great Myna (Acridotheres grandis)
- Gray-winged Blackbird (Turdus boulboul)
- Rufous-bellied Niltava (Niltava sundara)
- White-bellied Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis pallidipes)
- Slaty-blue Flycatcher (Ficedula tricolor)
- Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher (Ficedula strophiata)
- Blue-fronted Redstart (Phoenicurus frontalis)
- White-capped Redstart (Phoenicurus leucocephalus)
- Blue-capped Rock-Thrush (Monticola cinclorhyncha)
- Siberian Stonechat (Common Stonechat) (Saxicola maurus)
- Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina)
- Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti)
- Black-throated Sunbird (Aethopyga saturata)
- Streaked Spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna)
- Tricolored Munia (Black-headed Munia) (Lonchura malacca)
- Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus)
- Crested Bunting (Emberiza lathami)
- Yellow-footed Green-Pigeon (Treron phoenicopterus)
- Bank Myna (Acridotheres ginginianus)
- Greater Hoopoe-Lark (Alaemon alaudipes)
- Malabar Starling (Sturnia blythii)
- Dusky Crag-Martin (Ptyonoprogne concolor)
- White-bellied Minivet (Pericrocotus erythropygius)
- Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus)
- Black-throated Munia (Lonchura kelaarti)
- Black-capped Kingfisher (Halcyon pileata)
- Cotton Pygmy-Goose (Nettapus coromandelianus)
- Striolated Bunting (Emberiza striolata)
- Asian Desert Warbler (Curruca nana)
- Small Buttonquail (Turnix sylvaticus)
- Orange-breasted Green-Pigeon (Treron bicinctus)
- Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus)
- Black-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca)
- Indian Spotted Creeper (Salpornis spilonota)
- Painted Sandgrouse (Pterocles indicus)
- Yellow-legged Buttonquail (Turnix tanki)
- Knob-billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos)
- Laggar Falcon (Falco jugger)
- White-browed Bushchat (Saxicola macrorhynchus)