Use Your Phone to Identify Birds, Flowers and Plants
The sixth article in our Tech for the Fun of It series—simple, enjoyable technology without the jargon.
Have you ever noticed an unfamiliar bird in the garden or a striking flower beside a walking path and wondered what it was?
Your phone can help.
Nature-identification apps compare your photograph with large collections of known species. They can suggest possible names, show similar photographs and provide information about where a species is normally found, making it surprising easy to identify birds and plants with just your phone.
The important word is suggest. These apps can be remarkably helpful, but they can also be wrong. The real pleasure comes from slowing down, observing carefully and learning how to check the result.
What we’re going to discover
We are going to use a phone to:
photograph a bird, flower or plant;
receive some possible identifications;
compare the suggestions with what we observed;
save a record of the discovery; and
begin a simple digital nature journal.
For this activity, we will consider three free apps:
Merlin Bird ID for birds;
Pl@ntNet for flowers and plants; and
Seek by iNaturalist for general nature identification.
You do not need all three. Choose the app that best matches what you want to identify.
What you’ll need to identify birds & plants with your phone
You will need:
a smartphone or tablet with a camera;
an internet connection for installing the app;
one of the identification apps;
a safe outdoor location; and
approximately 15 to 30 minutes.
Good first locations include:
your own garden;
a public park;
a botanical garden;
a formed walking path; or
a place where you can observe without entering long grass or disturbing wildlife.
Wear suitable footwear, carry water and pay attention to heat, uneven ground,
insects, snakes and traffic.
Which app should you choose?
Merlin Bird ID
Merlin Bird ID is produced by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It provides several ways to identify a bird:
answer questions about its size, colour and behaviour;
submit a photograph;
explore birds likely to occur nearby; and
compare your bird with photographs, descriptions, calls and range information.
Merlin’s Photo ID can offer a shortlist from a photograph and covers more than 6,900 bird species. It uses the date and location to improve its suggestions.
Merlin is available for Android and Apple devices. Its current Apple version requires iOS 18 or later, so some older iPhones and iPads may not be compatible.
A limitation for Australian users
Merlin also has a Sound ID feature that listens to bird calls. However, its present coverage is concentrated in North America, Europe and parts of India, Central America and South America.
It does not yet identify most Australian birds by sound reliably. Use its Photo ID, Bird ID questions and local bird lists instead.
Even in supported regions, Merlin says its suggestions are only a starting point and should be independently checked.
Pl@ntNet
Pl@ntNet identifies plants from photographs. It is also a citizen-science project that helps researchers build knowledge about plant biodiversity.
It is particularly useful because you can submit several photographs of the same plant, including:
the whole plant;
a leaf;
a flower;
fruit or seeds; and
bark or stem.
The Australian section of Pl@ntNet currently includes thousands of native species.
The app is available from both Google Play and Apple’s App Store and can also be used through a web browser.
Seek by iNaturalist
Seek can suggest identifications for:
plants;
birds;
insects;
spiders;
frogs;
reptiles;
fungi; and
other living things.
It is a good choice for beginners because no account is required. Observations normally remain on your device unless you deliberately connect an iNaturalist account and choose to share them.
Seek provides real-time suggestions through the camera. If it cannot confidently identify the exact species, it may stop at a broader level such as family or genus. That is better than presenting an unjustifiably precise answer.
Step 1: Install the official app
Open your phone’s official app store:
on an iPhone or iPad, open the App Store;
on an Android device, open Google Play.
Search for one of these exact names:
Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab
Pl@ntNet Plant Identification
Seek by iNaturalist
Check the developer and app name before installing it.
Avoid advertisements or unfamiliar websites promising an instant identification. An app should not require payment-card details simply to provide its basic free identification service.
Step 2: Allow only the permissions you need
The app may ask for access to:
Camera
This is required when you want to photograph something directly through the app.
Photographs
This allows the app to examine a photograph you have already taken.
Depending on your phone, you may be able to allow access only to selected photographs rather than the entire photo collection.
Location
Location helps the app rule out species that are unlikely to occur in your area.
You can choose not to grant permanent location access. Selecting While Using the App is generally sufficient.
Microphone
Merlin requests microphone access when using Sound ID. As Sound ID has limited Australian coverage, you do not need to enable it for a photograph-based identification.
Step 3: Choose a safe subject
Begin with something easy to observe.
Good subjects include:
a flowering plant in your garden;
a tree beside a formed path;
a bird sitting in an open area;
a butterfly resting on a flower; or
a common garden insect that can be photographed without touching it.
Do not pick up, move or handle an unknown plant, animal or fungus to obtain a better photograph.
If the subject is beside a road, on private property, inside long grass or close to a nest, choose something else.
Step 4: Take a useful bird photograph
Birds are challenging because they move and are often some distance away.
For a better result:
Keep a respectful distance.
Hold the phone steadily with both hands.
Place the bird near the centre of the picture.
Use modest zoom if necessary.
Take several photographs.
Note its approximate size.
Observe its main colours and markings.
Notice what it is doing and where it is perched.
Try to include distinctive features such as:
beak shape;
eye colour;
stripes around the head;
patches on the wings;
breast colour;
tail shape; and
leg colour.
A clear side view is often more useful than a distant photograph of the bird facing away.
Do not chase the bird or try to make it fly. If it moves away, let it go.
Step 5: Identify the bird with Merlin
Open Merlin and choose Photo ID.
Then:
Select the photograph from your camera roll.
Confirm the date and location.
Crop the image so the bird is clearly visible.
View the suggested matches.
Open each likely result.
Compare the photographs, size, range and habitat.
Listen to the example calls only for comparison.
If you do not have a useful photograph, choose Start Bird ID and answer Merlin’s questions about:
where you saw it;
when you saw it;
its approximate size;
its main colours; and
what it was doing.
When you are reasonably confident, you can select This Is My Bird to save it.
Do not report a bird to a scientific database solely because Merlin suggested it. Confirm that its appearance, location, habitat and behaviour make sense.
Step 6: Take useful plant photographs
A single close-up of one leaf may not provide enough information.
Without touching or damaging the plant, try to photograph:
The whole plantShow its overall size and growing shape.
A clear leafCapture its shape, edge, veins and arrangement on the stem.
A flowerPhotograph it from the front and side if practical.
Fruit or seed podsInclude these only when already present.
Bark or stemThis can help distinguish between similar shrubs and trees.
Take every photograph of the same plant. Do not accidentally include a leaf from a neighbouring plant among the images.
Use daylight and make sure the subject is in focus. A plain background or a different angle can make the plant easier for the app to recognise.
Step 7: Identify the plant with Pl@ntNet
Open Pl@ntNet and select the camera or identification option.
Then:
Take a photograph or select one from your phone.
Add the other views of the same plant.
Label each image as leaf, flower, fruit, bark or whole plant if prompted.
Select the Australian flora or allow location to help choose the appropriate collection.
Start the identification.
Examine the suggested species.
A higher-ranked result is not automatically correct. Compare:
leaf shape;
leaf arrangement;
flower structure;
colour;
bark;
growth habit;
distribution; and
habitat.
Look at several reference photographs. Plants can appear quite different as they mature or move through flowering and fruiting seasons.
Step 8: Try Seek for general nature
Open Seek and select its camera.
Slowly point it towards the subject while keeping it inside the frame. The app may move through increasingly specific classifications as it gathers enough detail.
For example, it might progress through:
plants;
flowering plants;
a plant family;
a genus; and
finally, a possible species.
Move the camera slightly to show different features, but do not touch or disturb the subject.
If Seek stops at a broad classification, accept that result rather than forcing an exact answer. Take normal camera photographs and investigate them later with another reliable source.
How to check an identification
Never rely on the name alone.
Ask these questions:
Does the app’s photograph genuinely resemble my subject?
Is the species known to occur in my part of Australia?
Is the habitat appropriate?
Is it normally present at this time of year?
Do the size, colours, leaves, flowers or markings match?
Have two different sources reached the same conclusion?
Useful sources for checking include:
government environment departments;
botanical gardens;
museums;
recognised field guides;
BirdLife Australia;
Atlas of Living Australia; and
a local gardening, naturalist or birdwatching group.
If the identification still seems doubtful, label it as possible or unconfirmed.
Something extra to try: create a nature journal
Choose a folder or album in your Photos app and call it:
My Nature Journal
For every discovery, save:
your best photograph;
the suggested common name;
the scientific name, if available;
the date;
the general location;
what you noticed; and
whether the identification was confirmed.
A note might say:
Possible Blue-winged Kookaburra, seen near the Palmerston walking path. Large bird with blue wings and a pale head. Merlin suggestion checked against two reference photographs.
Over time, the journal becomes a record of changing seasons and the wildlife around you.
You could try identifying:
one bird and two plants each week;
every flowering plant in your garden;
birds visiting at different times of day; or
species seen during a regular walk.
A short privacy and safety note
Never eat a plant because an app identified it
An identification result is not proof that a plant, berry, seed or fungus is edible.
Similar-looking species can have very different effects. Never taste or use an unknown plant as food, tea, medicine or animal feed based on an app result.
Avoid touching unknown plants
Some Australian plants have irritating sap, sharp hairs or severe stings. Healthdirect warns that stinging plants can cause prolonged pain and, in some people, a serious allergic reaction.
Take the photograph without handling the plant.
Respect birds and other wildlife
BirdLife Australia recommends:
keeping an appropriate distance;
avoiding nests and breeding birds;
staying on formed paths;
avoiding spotlights and flash around nocturnal birds;
not using drones; and
not playing recorded calls to attract birds.
Playing a bird call can cause stress and interfere with feeding or breeding.
Use the calls in Merlin quietly for comparison after the bird has moved away—not as bait to draw it closer.
Be careful with location information
Phone photographs can contain location data.
Do not publicly share the exact location of:
nests;
threatened species;
rare orchids;
sensitive habitat; or
wildlife on private property.
Seek does not require an account and keeps records on the device by default. Connecting it to iNaturalist and posting an observation is optional and may share the observation’s location.
How to undo it or get help
If the identification appears wrong
Return to the suggestions and choose another possible match, or take clearer photographs.
You do not have to accept an identification.
If you saved the wrong bird in Merlin
Open the saved observation or life-list entry and use its menu to edit or delete it.
If you created the wrong observation
Open the observation in Pl@ntNet or Seek and look for Delete, Remove or the rubbish-bin symbol.
Removing an observation from an identification app does not necessarily delete the original photograph from your phone’s Photos app.
If you granted more access than intended
On an iPhone:
Open Settings.
Select Privacy & Security.
Choose Camera, Photos, Microphone or Location Services.
Find the app and change its permission.
On Android:
Open Settings.
Select Apps.
Choose the identification app.
Select Permissions.
Change the access allowed.
If the app cannot identify the subject
Try:
moving into better light;
holding the phone steadier;
using a less cluttered background;
taking several views;
checking that location is correct;
photographing a flower or fruit as well as leaves; or
using another identification source.
Sometimes the honest answer is simply not enough information.
Look more closely at the world around you
The real value of these apps is not that the phone always knows the answer. It is that they encourage us to pause and notice details we might otherwise overlook.
A familiar garden can become a small nature reserve. A regular walk can reveal seasonal flowers, visiting birds and insects you had never noticed before.
Start with one bird and two plants. Take your time, check the suggestions and leave everything exactly where you found it.
Download the printable guide
Keep the one-page guide on your phone or print it before your first nature-identification walk:
Download the A4 quick-reference guide
FAQ
Can my phone identify a bird from a photograph?
Merlin Bird ID can compare a bird photograph with thousands of species and offer possible matches. Check the suggestion against its appearance, range, habitat and behaviour.
Does Merlin identify Australian bird calls?
Merlin’s Sound ID currently does not cover most Australian species. Australian users should rely more heavily on Photo ID, the step-by-step Bird ID and local bird lists.
What is the best app for identifying Australian plants?
Pl@ntNet includes an Australian flora collection and accepts several photographs of the same plant. Seek is another useful beginner-friendly option.
Are plant-identification apps always correct?
No. Poor photographs and similar-looking species can produce incorrect results. Never eat, touch or use a plant medicinally based only on an app.
Does Seek require an account?
No. Seek can be used without an account, and observations remain on the device by default.
Can I use bird calls from an app to attract a bird?
You should not. BirdLife Australia advises against recreational call playback because it can distress birds and disrupt feeding or breeding.
Next time in Tech for the Fun of It, we’ll explore another enjoyable use for everyday technology.
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