#Birdwatching Is Taking Off as #AI Apps Turn Phones Into "Shazam for Birds." #tech
Why It Matters
The trend fuels a lucrative market and expands citizen‑science data, while prompting regulators to balance recreation with wildlife protection.
Key Takeaways
- •AI bird ID apps turn phones into real-time “Shazam” for birds.
- •Merlin Bird ID reached 16 million users in 2025, up 50% YoY.
- •Birdwatching now engages 96 million Americans, a third of adults.
- •Hobby generated over $17 billion in 2022, including $14 billion travel.
- •Rising crowds raise concerns about wildlife disturbance and habitat impact.
Summary
Birdwatching is experiencing a surge as AI-powered apps turn smartphones into instant bird identifiers, likened to a "Shazam for birds."\n\nApps such as Merlin Bird ID and BirdNet, using machine‑learning on sound and images, logged 16 million users in 2025—a 50 % jump from the previous year—while citizen‑science platforms receive real‑time data from these observations.\n\nCornell’s Lab of Ornithology reports 63 % of Americans birded more in 2020, pushing the hobby to 96 million participants, or one‑third of adults, and spurring a 50 % rise in feeder sales; enthusiasts even travel globally, contributing $14 billion of the $17 billion spent in 2022.\n\nThe boom creates a multi‑billion‑dollar market and richer ecological data, but growing crowds raise concerns about wildlife disturbance and the need for sustainable bird‑watching practices.
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