I won Merlin once. I didn't know you could win the game, but I was relaxing in my backyard and suddenly it notified me that I had found the merlin. I was so excited. I hadn't known that a merlin was a kind of bird.
I do wonder how accurate Merlin is. I certainly can't tell the bird calls apart, and I don't usually spot the bird in question, so it could just be lying to me half the time, and I'd probably never notice. But I sure do love the app as an amateur bird-liker.
Fellow amateur bird-liker here. Usually when you ID a bird it’ll provide you with a boatload of other recordings you can compare against if you’re unsure.
You can also use these recordings to annoy birds. Play their species' song and the bird will think there's a competitor nearby, and sometimes fly close to confront the interloper.
Needless to say, don't do this too much, but it can be useful for getting a visual on certain birds (like warblers).
I do wonder how accurate Merlin is. I certainly can't tell the bird calls apart, and I don't usually spot the bird in question, so it could just be lying to me half the time, and I'd probably never notice. But I sure do love the app as an amateur bird-liker.