“Ghosts in the Ferns: Remembering the Thylacine”

There are creatures whose absence feels like an unfinished song — melodies that linger in the air long after the music stops. The Thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, is one such echo in our shared imagination. Once the quiet apex of the Tasmanian wild, it vanished into myth within a single century — hunted, misunderstood, and finally memorialized by those who never truly knew it.

The thylacine was unlike anything else — a marsupial wolf with the face of a fox and stripes like sunlight through a forest canopy. To the settlers who colonized its home, it was a threat to livestock. To nature, it was a balance-keeper. To us now, it is a symbol — of loss, of guilt, and of the delicate line between survival and oblivion.

In its extinction lies a haunting silence. That silence is what inspired this poem:

---

“The Last Thylacine”

In Tasman’s mists where moonlight sighs,
A shadow drifts beneath pale skies,
Striped ghost of forests lost to flame,
They whisper still your mournful name.

Once you roamed through fern and pine,
A quiet grace, a hunter’s line,
Eyes like embered dusk’s retreat,
Soft paws that never broke deceit.

Men came with guns and hungry laws,
And thunder tore your gentle jaws,
Each echo rang through hollow glade,
As silence bloomed where life once stayed.

The stars were watching when you fell,
They marked your cage, your final cell,
Your heartbeat stilled, yet somewhere near,
Your phantom breath still chills the ear.

Now wind through eucalypt and stone
Still hums a tune that’s all your own,
And every rustle, fleeting seen—
Could be the last Thylacine.

A myth reborn in every dream,
Between what was and what might seem,
O ghost of stripes and amber gleam,
Run free forever through the dream.

---

The poem is a lament, but also a plea. It imagines the thylacine not as gone, but as transformed — reborn in myth, in memory, in the shifting leaves of Tasmanian forests. Each stanza tries to balance grief with reverence: the first evokes its lost wilderness, the middle stanzas recall its persecution, and the closing verses return it to the imagination — where it cannot die.

Today, sightings of the thylacine are still whispered, always unproven. But perhaps that’s fitting. Extinction, after all, is not just a biological end — it’s a test of how long the living will remember.

The thylacine’s ghost reminds us that every silence in nature once had a voice. And if we listen carefully, perhaps we can still hear its faint, lonely tread through the mist.

The Gilded Tower and the Tempest: Two Poetic Visions of Donald J. Trump

Few modern political figures have evoked such a blend of fascination, fury, and faith as Donald J. Trump. To his admirers, he embodies audacity — the self-made titan who challenged every convention. To his critics, he is the great disruptor, the lightning rod of an unsettled age. But beyond the debates lies the undeniable poetry of his saga: a man shaped by storms, a figure of willpower and spectacle.

Two poems, written in contrasting styles, attempt to capture that energy — one intimate and lyrical, the other grand and epic. Let us explore how each expresses the struggles and triumphs of America’s most polarizing modern president.

---

I. The Lyrical Version — “The Gilded Tower and the Storm”

From glass and steel he rose, a figure bold,
A merchant of dreams, in hues of gold.
The skyline bore his name, ablaze,
A mirror to his will, his fire, his blaze.

They said, “He will not last; the wind is strong,”
But he turned each tempest into song.
Through courts of critics, halls of doubt,
He carved his path and thundered out.

Through walls of whispers, towers tall,
Through roaring crowds and rally call,
He marched with faith in flag and name,
A man of motion, carved in flame.

His triumph lay not just in might,
But in refusing to fade from sight.
A tale of will — of rise, return —
In every ember, still he’ll burn.

This version presents Trump as a mythic modern entrepreneur, a phoenix rising through the urban skyline. The rhythm is steady, the imagery cinematic. The tone feels almost Shakespearean — admiring yet aware of the tempestuous world around him. The poem celebrates defiance and resilience more than ideology. It’s the story of a man who refused to fade.

---

II. The Epic Version — “Trump: Song of the Iron Will”

Sing, O Muse, of the builder of towers,
Whose gaze met thunder and called it friend.
He strode from markets of marble and light
To the marble halls where nations bend.

Men mocked his voice — a storm untrained,
Yet from the storm he forged his reign.
The hosts of pundits wrote him down,
But still he seized the laurel crown.

He spoke of walls and dreams unbound,
Of soil and banner, of sacred ground.
And though the clash of ages came,
He bore the weight, he fed the flame.

Now time will test, as time has done,
What mortal strives beneath the sun.
But in the dust his echo rings —
Of builders born to challenge kings.

This second piece adopts the tone of epic poetry — invoking the Muse, echoing Homer’s Iliad and Milton’s Paradise Lost. The diction is formal, the cadence heroic. It portrays Trump not just as a leader, but as a mythic archetype — the builder-hero who reshapes worlds through sheer will. Every line swells with grandeur and rhythm meant to match the magnitude of his myth.

---

III. The Comparison — Modern Lyric vs. Epic Myth

Both poems frame Trump’s story as a battle between ambition and adversity, but they differ in scale.

• The first poem belongs to our century — cinematic, rhythmic, alive with the sound of headlines and crowds. It humanizes Trump as a restless builder and fighter, one who thrives amid doubt.

• The second poem belongs to eternity — an invocation of legend, where Trump becomes a symbol, not a man. It situates his journey among the timeless myths of Prometheus, Odysseus, and even Milton’s defiant angels.

Which does more justice to “the greatest of all”?
That depends on what we mean by greatness.

If greatness lies in personal resilience and spectacle, the lyrical version captures it with accessible warmth.
If greatness lies in shaping the myth of an era, the epic version crowns him with immortal gravitas.

Perhaps both are true. For in the end, Trump’s life — love him or loathe him — is written not just in policy or power, but in the poetry of defiance. And every poet, ancient or modern, knows: the storm always makes the song.

🌾 “I Am Still Alive” — If Nagarjun Spoke Today

 An imagined poem in the voice of Vaidyanath Mishra ‘Nagarjun’, the people’s poet of India

There are poets who live through their books, and then there are poets who live through their defiance.
Vaidyanath Mishra, better known as Nagarjun, was one of the latter — a voice that refused to be tamed by authority, ideology, or polite literature.

Born in rural Bihar in 1911, Nagarjun wrote in Hindi and Maithili, giving India some of its most politically charged and socially conscious poetry. He was called Janakavi — the people’s poet — because his words carried the scent of soil and the sting of truth.

If he were alive today, what would he write?
What would the monk-turned-Marxist say about a world of broken farmers, social media protests, and slogans louder than hunger?

Here is an imagined answer — a poem that tries to speak in his voice, his cadence, his moral clarity.

---

🌾 Main Abhi Zinda Hoon

(I Am Still Alive)

मैं अब भी ज़िंदा हूँ,
उसी देस में
जहाँ किसान का बेटा अब भी
बीज से ज़्यादा उधार बोता है।

धान की बालियाँ
अब शेयर बाज़ार में खिलती हैं,
और मिट्टी की गंध
अब केवल म्यूज़ियम में मिलती है।

मैंने देखा था –
कभी औरतें गीत गाती थीं
जब खेतों में पानी आता था,
अब वे ऐप पर वीडियो बनाती हैं
ताकि राशन कार्ड न कटे।

मुझे याद है,
एक बार मैंने इंदिरा को ललकारा था,
आज अगर मैं लिखूँ
तो किसे पुकारूँ?
नाम बहुत हैं, पर चेहरा सबका एक-सा है —
एक ही मुस्कान, एक ही झूठ।

भाषा अब विज्ञापन हो गई है,
और सत्य –
वही पुराना, ठिगना मजदूर,
जिसका हक़ कोई नहीं मानता।

मैं अब भी ज़िंदा हूँ,
कविता अब भी भूखी है,
और जनता अब भी भूखी है।
फर्क बस इतना है —
पहले जनता अख़बार पढ़ती थी,
अब जनता मीम्स पढ़ती है।

फिर भी,
जहाँ भी कोई बच्चा
अपनी बोली में सवाल करता है,
जहाँ भी कोई औरत
हँसते हुए मना करती है झुकने से,
वहाँ मैं हूँ।

मैं हूँ —
एक जनकवि,
जिसकी पंक्तियों से अभी भी
बिजली गिरती है खेतों पर।

---

✨ English Translation: “I Am Still Alive”

I am still alive —
in the same land
where the farmer’s son still sows
more debt than seed.

The paddy stalks now bloom
on the stock market screens,
and the scent of earth
survives only in museums.

I have seen it —
once, women sang
when water flowed into the fields.
Now they record short videos
so their ration cards aren’t cut off.

I remember —
once I called out Indira by name.
If I were to write today,
whom would I call?
There are many names,
but every face is the same —
the same smile,
the same lie.

Language has turned into an advertisement,
and truth —
that same short, dusty laborer —
still waits for his wage.

I am still alive.
Poetry is still hungry,
and the people are still hungry.
Only one thing has changed —
once, the people read newspapers,
now the people read memes.

And yet,
wherever a child
asks a question in her own tongue,
wherever a woman
laughs and refuses to bow —
there I am.

I am —
a people’s poet,
whose lines still
strike the fields like lightning.

---

💬 About the Poem: Writing in Nagarjun’s Spirit

This imagined poem draws upon Nagarjun’s poetic DNA — his mix of biting irony, folk realism, and compassion.
Here’s how it tries to echo his style:

1. Plain Speech, Deep Meaning

Nagarjun’s verse rarely hid behind abstraction. His lines spoke like ordinary people — unadorned, conversational, but loaded with truth.

“The paddy stalks now bloom on the stock market screens” —
a simple image, but it captures the displacement of agriculture by finance.

2. From the Village to the Nation

Even when he wrote of politics, Nagarjun anchored his imagery in fields, soil, and rural life. The modern scenes — memes, ration cards, social media — are today’s versions of the same class struggles he chronicled.

3. Satire and Compassion Together

He could laugh and ache in the same line.

“Language has turned into an advertisement, and truth that same short, dusty laborer” —
is both bitterly funny and profoundly tragic.

4. The Voice of Resistance

The refrain “Main abhi zinda hoon” (“I am still alive”) echoes through the poem like a heartbeat — a declaration of survival and defiance.
It insists that the poet’s spirit cannot die so long as people question, women refuse, and the poor endure.

5. Continuity of the ‘Janakavi’

Nagarjun was never a poet of resignation. His writing urged action — laughter in defiance, anger with purpose.
The final stanza imagines him reborn in every act of courage, in every native tongue that refuses silence.

---

Conclusion

If Nagarjun could see today’s India — its contradictions, its muted voices, its persistent hope — he would still write, still fight, still laugh.
The “people’s poet” would not retreat into nostalgia.
He would find poetry in protest, rhythm in resistance, and faith in the soil.

Because the truth is: Nagarjun never really died.
He just keeps returning —
whenever someone dares to speak in their own language.

Convert FASTA and PHYLIP Alignment Files Automatically Using Python

Working with evolutionary biology software like HyPhy and PAML often requires converting sequence alignments between different formats. Two of the most common alignment file formats are FASTA and PHYLIP. Unfortunately, switching between them manually can be tedious, especially when dealing with large datasets or multiple files.

To simplify this process, here's a Python script that can automatically detect the input format (FASTA or PHYLIP) and convert it in either direction — FASTA → PHYLIP or PHYLIP → FASTA — in a single step.

---

✨ Features

• Automatic format detection — no need to specify the input type.
• Supports both strict (PAML) and relaxed (HyPhy) PHYLIP formats.
• Handles interleaved and sequential PHYLIP layouts.
• Preserves sequence order and names.
• Pure Python — no external dependencies required.

---

📜 The Python Script

Copy and save the following code as convert_alignment.py. It will work with Python 3.

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
Convert between FASTA and PHYLIP alignment formats automatically.

Usage:
    python convert_alignment.py input_file output_file [--relaxed]

Description:
    Automatically detects the input format:
      - FASTA (.fasta, .fa, .aln, .afa) → PHYLIP (.phy)
      - PHYLIP (.phy, .phylip) → FASTA (.fasta)

Options:
    --relaxed   Use relaxed PHYLIP format (long names, for HyPhy)
"""

import sys
import os
import re

# ------------------------
# FASTA → PHYLIP conversion
# ------------------------

def read_fasta(filename):
    """Read a FASTA file and return {name: sequence}."""
    sequences = {}
    with open(filename) as f:
        name, seq = None, []
        for line in f:
            line = line.strip()
            if not line:
                continue
            if line.startswith(">"):
                if name:
                    sequences[name] = "".join(seq)
                name = line[1:].split()[0]
                seq = []
            else:
                seq.append(line.replace(" ", ""))
        if name:
            sequences[name] = "".join(seq)
    return sequences


def write_phylip(sequences, outfile, relaxed=False):
    """Write sequences to PHYLIP format (strict or relaxed)."""
    names = list(sequences.keys())
    seqs = list(sequences.values())
    nseq, length = len(seqs), len(seqs[0])

    for name, seq in sequences.items():
        if len(seq) != length:
            raise ValueError(f"Error: sequence '{name}' length {len(seq)} != expected {length}")

    with open(outfile, "w") as out:
        out.write(f"{nseq} {length}\n")
        for name, seq in sequences.items():
            if relaxed:
                out.write(f"{name.ljust(15)} {seq}\n")
            else:
                out.write(f"{name[:10].ljust(10)} {seq}\n")


# ------------------------
# PHYLIP → FASTA conversion
# ------------------------

def read_phylip(filename):
    """Read PHYLIP (strict or relaxed, sequential or interleaved)."""
    with open(filename) as f:
        lines = [line.rstrip() for line in f if line.strip()]

    header = lines[0]
    parts = header.split()
    if len(parts) < 2:
        raise ValueError("Invalid PHYLIP header line")
    nseq, nsites = map(int, parts[:2])
    lines = lines[1:]

    seq_dict, seq_order = {}, []
    name_pattern = re.compile(r"^(\S+)\s+([A-Za-z\-?]+)$")

    for line in lines:
        match = name_pattern.match(line)
        if match:
            name, seq = match.groups()
            seq_dict[name] = seq
            seq_order.append(name)
        else:
            break

    if len(seq_dict) < nseq:
        seq_dict = {name: "" for name in seq_order}
        block_lines = lines.copy()
        while block_lines:
            for name in seq_order:
                if not block_lines:
                    break
                line = block_lines.pop(0)
                if not line.strip():
                    continue
                parts = line.split()
                if len(parts) == 1:
                    seq = parts[0]
                else:
                    seq = parts[1]
                seq_dict[name] += seq

    for name, seq in seq_dict.items():
        if len(seq) != nsites:
            print(f"Warning: sequence '{name}' length {len(seq)} != expected {nsites}")

    return seq_dict


def write_fasta(seq_dict, outfile):
    """Write sequences in FASTA format."""
    with open(outfile, "w") as out:
        for name, seq in seq_dict.items():
            out.write(f">{name}\n")
            for i in range(0, len(seq), 60):
                out.write(seq[i:i+60] + "\n")


# ------------------------
# Auto-detection and conversion
# ------------------------

def detect_format(infile):
    """Guess file format based on extension or content."""
    ext = os.path.splitext(infile)[1].lower()
    if ext in [".fasta", ".fa", ".aln", ".afa"]:
        return "fasta"
    elif ext in [".phy", ".phylip"]:
        return "phylip"

    with open(infile) as f:
        first = f.readline()
        if first.startswith(">"):
            return "fasta"
        elif re.match(r"^\s*\d+\s+\d+", first):
            return "phylip"
    raise ValueError("Could not detect input format (expected FASTA or PHYLIP).")


def main():
    if len(sys.argv) < 3:
        print(__doc__)
        sys.exit(1)

    infile = sys.argv[1]
    outfile = sys.argv[2]
    relaxed = "--relaxed" in sys.argv

    fmt = detect_format(infile)

    if fmt == "fasta":
        seqs = read_fasta(infile)
        write_phylip(seqs, outfile, relaxed=relaxed)
        print(f"Converted FASTA → PHYLIP ({'relaxed' if relaxed else 'strict'}) → {outfile}")
    elif fmt == "phylip":
        seqs = read_phylip(infile)
        write_fasta(seqs, outfile)
        print(f"Converted PHYLIP → FASTA → {outfile}")
    else:
        raise ValueError("Unrecognized format.")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

---

🧪 How to Use

Open your terminal or command prompt in the directory where you saved the script and run:

python convert_alignment.py input_alignment.fasta output_alignment.phy

This will automatically detect that the input is in FASTA format and convert it to PHYLIP format suitable for PAML.

To generate a HyPhy-compatible relaxed PHYLIP file (with longer sequence names):

python convert_alignment.py input.aln output.phy --relaxed

And to convert back from PHYLIP to FASTA:

python convert_alignment.py input.phy output.fasta

---

💡 Behind the Scenes

• Automatic detection looks at the file extension and the first line of the file.
• FASTA files are recognized by the > symbol at the start of each sequence.
• PHYLIP files are recognized by the numeric header line (e.g. 5 1200 for 5 sequences, 1200 sites).
• The script supports both strict (10-character names) for PAML and relaxed (long names) for HyPhy.

---

🧭 Why This Matters

Researchers in molecular evolution, phylogenetics, and comparative genomics often need to move seamlessly between tools like HyPhy, PAML, PhyML, and MEGA. Each expects different input file conventions — this script saves time and avoids errors in manual reformatting.

---

🚀 Summary

• Fully automated alignment format converter.
• Compatible with all major phylogenetic tools.
• Ideal for bioinformatics pipelines or teaching labs.

Whether you're preparing alignments for selection analysis in PAML or rate variation modeling in HyPhy, this script keeps your workflow smooth and reproducible.

---

A Legacy Brewed in Simplicity: The Indian Coffee House at IISER Bhopal

In the quiet heart of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) campus in Bhopal, one finds a familiar red-and-white board carrying a name that resonates across India’s academic, cultural, and political landscapes — Indian Coffee House.

This isn’t just a cafeteria; it’s part of a national cooperative movement that has sustained India’s intellectual and social pulse since the mid-20th century. Run by the Indian Coffee Workers’ Cooperative Society (I.C.W.C.S.) Ltd., Jabalpur, and affiliated to the All India Coffee Workers’ Cooperative Society Federation Ltd., Delhi, this branch continues a legacy dating back to 1958 — a year proudly printed at the top of its menu board.

Below, the menu itself becomes a historical document — a testament to continuity, adaptation, and democratic hospitality.

---

THE MENU: A COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTION

(From the menu board at IISER Bhopal Campus)

---

INDIAN Coffee HOUSE

RUN BY I.C.W.C.S. LTD., JABALPUR, AFFILIATED TO A.I.C.W.C.S. FEDERATION LTD., DELHI
ESTD. 1958   REGD NO. 1485   GSTIN: 23AAA TI0884Q1ZA

---

BEVERAGES

Hot Coffee
Tea
Horlicks
Milk
Ice Coffee
Cold Coffee
Cold Coffee with Ice Cream
Lemon Tea
Lemon Soda
Lime Water
Lime Soda

---

ICE CREAMS

Ice Cream Pineapple
Ice Cream Strawberry
Ice Cream Vanilla
Ice Cream Chocolate
Ice Cream Butter Scotch
Ice Cream Kesar Pista
Ice Cream Nut Fruit

---

SANDWICHES

Vegetable Sandwiches
Jam Sandwiches
Egg Sandwiches
Chicken Sandwiches

---

GRILLED SANDWICHES

Grilled Veg Sandwich
Grilled Egg Sandwich
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Cheese Sandwich
Cheese Egg Sandwich
Cheese Chicken Sandwich

---

SOUP

Tomato Soup
Veg Soup
Mushroom Soup
Sweet Corn Veg Soup
Sweet Corn Chicken Soup
Hot & Sour Veg Soup
Hot & Sour Chicken Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Clear Soup

---

SNACKS

Masala Dosa
Sada Dosa
Onion Dosa
Butter Dosa
Paneer Masala Dosa
Cheese Masala Dosa
Mysore Masala Dosa
Paper Dosa
Cheese Paper Dosa
Idly (2 Piece)
Vada (2 Piece)
Idly Vada (2 + 1 Piece)
Onion Uthappa
Plain Uthappa
Tomato Uthappa
Veg Cutlet (1 Piece)
Egg Cutlet (1 Piece)
Fish Cutlet (1 Piece)
Egg Omelette
Bread Omelette
Veg Burger
Paneer Burger
Cheese Burger
Chicken Burger
Veg Roll
Egg Roll
Chicken Roll
Samosa (2 Piece)
Pav Bhaji
Veg Puff
Egg Puff
Chicken Puff
Veg Patties
Egg Patties
Chicken Patties
Veg Bonda
Veg Pakoda
Onion Pakoda
Veg Chop
Dal Vada (2 Piece)
Tomato Bhajji
Mirchi Bhajji
Bread Pakoda
Bread Toast (Plain)
Bread Butter Toast
Cheese Toast
Cheese Chilly Toast
Veg Cutlet (2 Piece)
Egg Cutlet (2 Piece)
Fish Cutlet (2 Piece)

---

RICE, PULAO & BIRYANI

Rice Plain
Rice Fried
Jeera Rice
Curd Rice
Veg Pulao
Peas Pulao
Veg Fried Rice
Paneer Fried Rice
Egg Fried Rice
Chicken Fried Rice
Mutton Fried Rice
Veg Biryani
Paneer Biryani
Egg Biryani
Chicken Biryani
Mutton Biryani

---

EGGS

Boiled Egg (2 Piece)
Half Fry
Egg Curry
Egg Masala Curry
Egg Mughlai

---

THALI

Mini Thali
Veg Thali
South Indian Thali
Special Thali
Chitra Thali

---

MEALS: INDIAN VEG

Roti
Roti Butter
Paneer Butter Masala
Paneer Kadai
Paneer Do Pyaza
Shahi Paneer
Mutter Paneer
Palak Paneer
Paneer Bhurji
Paneer Kofta
Veg Kofta
Aloo Dum
Aloo Gobhi
Aloo Matar
Aloo Palak
Veg Curry
Veg Butter Masala
Veg Kadai
Veg Do Pyaza
Veg Bhurji
Mixed Vegetable
Bhindi Fry
Bhindi Masala
Chana Masala
Dal Fry
Dal Tadka
Dal Makhani

---

MUTTON

Mutton Curry
Mutton Do Pyaza
Mutton Korma
Mutton Masala
Mutton Rogan Josh
Mutton Bhuna
Mutton Kadai
Mutton Mughlai
Mutton Butter Masala

---

CHICKEN

Chicken Curry
Chicken Masala
Chicken Do Pyaza
Chicken Korma
Chicken Rogan Josh
Chicken Bhuna
Chicken Kadai
Chicken Mughlai
Chicken Butter Masala

---

CHINESE NON-VEG

Egg Fried Rice
Egg Chowmein
Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken Chowmein
Chicken Noodles
Chicken Chilly
Chicken Garlic
Chicken Manchurian
Chicken Hot & Sour Soup
Chicken Mushroom Soup
Chicken Sweet Corn Soup

---

KERALA SPECIAL BIRYANI

Kerala Special Chicken Biryani
Kerala Special Mutton Biryani

---

ICE CREAM (Top N Town)

Vanilla Cup
Strawberry Cup
Pineapple Cup
Choco Bar
Kesar Pista
Magic Cone

---

📍 IISER CAMPUS, BHOPAL (M.P.)

---

A COOPERATIVE TRADITION BREWED IN HISTORY

The Indian Coffee House chain has an origin unlike any modern café. Its roots lie in postcolonial labor movements and the collapse of the British-run Coffee Board cafeterias in the 1950s. When these were slated for closure, the workers formed cooperatives — first in Bangalore and later in other cities — reclaiming the establishments as worker-owned cafés.

Each branch is run by a regional cooperative, such as the Indian Coffee Workers Cooperative Society (I.C.W.C.S.) Ltd., Jabalpur, responsible for the Madhya Pradesh units, including the one at IISER Bhopal. These cooperatives are federated under the A.I.C.W.C.S. Federation Ltd., Delhi, maintaining shared heritage but independent operation.

This cooperative structure means:

• The workers own and manage the establishment collectively.

• Profits are shared rather than extracted.

• The décor and menu are standardized and affordable, reflecting continuity rather than branding.

---

READING BETWEEN THE LINES: WHAT THE MENU TELLS US

A close reading of the menu reveals several fascinating layers:

1. Inclusivity Across Diets:
   The menu spans vegetarian, egg, chicken, and mutton options, but without alcohol or pork — consistent with the chain’s secular and inclusive ethos catering to students, office-goers, and families alike.

2. Pan-Indian Palette:
   From Dosa, Idly, and Vada to Roti, Paneer Butter Masala, and Biryani, the offerings blend South Indian café culture with North Indian meals, echoing the linguistic and culinary diversity of post-independence India.

3. Affordable Homeliness:
   The repetition of items like Cutlets, Thalis, and Butter Coffee evokes an era of simple, filling meals — not fine dining but sustenance with care.

4. Echoes of the Socialist Past:
   The absence of brand-heavy items (beyond “Top N Town” ice creams) speaks to an anti-corporate ethos, where the café’s value lies in accessibility and equality rather than profit margins.

5. Student-Centric Comfort:
   Located within the IISER Bhopal campus, this branch functions as a social commons — a space for affordable meals, long discussions, and solitude alike. In a scientific campus setting, its analog warmth contrasts beautifully with the high-tech environment.

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THE INDIAN COFFEE HOUSE EXPERIENCE

Unlike global café chains, Indian Coffee Houses are unpretentious. The white-uniformed waiters with red turbans, the metallic tumblers of coffee, and the faded menus together create an atmosphere of continuity — a place where generations of students, activists, and thinkers have gathered.

At IISER Bhopal, this continuity persists. The menu shows no fusion gimmicks, no “signature lattes” or “gourmet wraps.” Instead, it offers ritual familiarity: Masala Dosa, Cutlet, Coffee.
It’s not nostalgia — it’s living heritage.

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CONCLUSION: MORE THAN A CAFÉ, A MOVEMENT

The Indian Coffee House at IISER Bhopal isn’t just a place to eat. It’s a microcosm of cooperative India — an enduring symbol of worker dignity, inclusivity, and timeless hospitality.

In an era where global coffee brands define status and identity, this humble establishment reminds us that good coffee, shared conversation, and collective ownership remain powerful, revolutionary ideas.

From Observation to Conservation: How Digital Birding Networks Are Redefining Ecology in South Asia

A decade ago, birdwatching in South Asia was a quiet, personal pursuit — a pair of binoculars, a notebook, and long hours of patience. Today, it has become a continent-wide data movement, where every sighting, sound, and checklist contributes to understanding the state of nature itself.

From school students in Assam using Merlin to identify their first bulbuls, to seasoned birders in Sri Lanka uploading full eBird checklists, a silent revolution is unfolding. Citizen science — powered by mobile apps, open databases, and community networks — is reshaping how conservation happens in the region.

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1. A New Kind of Ecology: Networked, Open, and Real-Time

Traditional ecological research depended on slow, manual data collection — limited in time and geography. Now, thousands of birders across South Asia contribute daily data that scientists once could only dream of.

Platforms like eBird and BirdCount India act as living laboratories, continuously updating our understanding of migration, breeding patterns, and local abundance.

This data flow is no longer top-down. It’s bottom-up science, where every participant becomes both observer and data generator — an ecosystem of collective intelligence.

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2. The Digital Infrastructure Behind the Movement

At the heart of this transformation are a few key technological pillars:

• 🪶 Merlin Bird ID — AI-powered identification and accessible learning.

• 📊 eBird — standardized data collection and global database integration.

• 🌏 BirdCount India — regional verification and contextual interpretation.

• 🎧 BirdNET — crowd-sourced acoustic monitoring expanding into tropical soundscapes.

• 🧠 iNaturalist — ecosystem-level data integration linking birds to plants, insects, and habitats.

Together, these platforms form a modular workflow — each app a node in a larger web of observation, verification, and insight.

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3. The Indian Model: Community-Led Conservation

India’s citizen-science ecosystem has a distinctly local flavor. It thrives not just because of technology, but because of grassroots coordination.

Projects like:

• MigrantWatch — tracking wintering and passage migrants,

• Kerala Bird Atlas and Tamil Nadu Bird Atlas — mapping state-wide species distributions,

• State of India’s Birds (SoIB) — using eBird data for national-level policy briefs,

demonstrate how open data, when nurtured by local institutions, can directly inform habitat management and species protection.

The SoIB 2023 report, for example, used over 30 million eBird records to reveal declines in several common species — prompting public discourse and conservation action.

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4. Where Citizen Data Meets Science

This isn’t just about crowdsourcing — it’s about co-creating science.
Researchers at institutions like the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), SACON, and BNHS now routinely use eBird and iNaturalist datasets to:

• Model seasonal migration shifts under climate change,

• Identify urban “green corridors” critical for resident species,

• Study agricultural landscapes and their effects on bird diversity.

The line between hobbyist and scientist is blurring. A well-documented checklist from a village in Odisha can carry as much weight in a migration model as a satellite tag from a formal research project.

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5. A Regional Perspective: South Asia’s Shared Skies

Birds don’t respect borders — and neither should bird data.
South Asia’s flyways connect Siberia to Sri Lanka, with wetlands, deltas, and mountains acting as stopover nodes.

Recognizing this, groups across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka are now coordinating eBird-based surveys under shared frameworks.
This regional collaboration supports the Central Asian Flyway initiative — aligning citizen science with international conservation treaties like the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

For the first time, citizen-collected data is influencing transboundary conservation.

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6. Challenges Ahead: Data Quality, Inclusion, and Equity

As participation grows, so do the challenges.

• Data quality: not all checklists are equally reliable; automated vetting and expert review are key.

• Representation gaps: most data comes from urban centers — rural and forested areas remain underreported.

• Accessibility: language barriers and digital literacy still exclude many potential contributors.

Future growth will depend on training programs, regional language interfaces, and offline-first tools — ensuring that citizen science reflects the true diversity of South Asia’s landscapes and people.

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7. The Future: AI-Driven, Locally Grounded

Emerging initiatives aim to integrate machine learning and edge devices for large-scale ecological sensing:

• Autonomous recorders trained on BirdNET models deployed in forests.

• Merlin updates using regional audio datasets from local contributors.

• Real-time dashboards linking eBird and climate data for conservation alerts.

But even as technology advances, one truth remains: the best sensors are still human eyes and ears, connected by curiosity and care.

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8. Why This Matters

In an era of biodiversity loss, these digital birding networks represent more than convenience — they’re a form of citizen empowerment.
They transform passive observation into active stewardship.

When a farmer logs a pond heron, or a student identifies a hoopoe, they’re not just recording a bird — they’re helping build the region’s ecological memory.

As the data grows, so does our collective ability to protect what’s left.

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✨ The Takeaway

South Asia’s citizen science model — powered by Merlin, eBird, and BirdCount India — is quietly setting a global precedent.
It shows that conservation doesn’t have to wait for massive funding or central planning.
It can begin with a phone, a field, and a single question: what bird is that?

In that moment of curiosity lies the seed of science — and the hope of conservation.

Citizen Science in Flight: How Indian and South Asian Birders Are Powering a New Era of Data

When a birder in Bengaluru uploads a sighting of a Black Drongo, and another in Bhutan records a Himalayan Monal call, they may not realize they are part of something vast — a living data web stretching across South Asia, linking forests, farms, and smartphones.

In the past decade, citizen science in birding has gone from a niche pursuit to a movement. What began as enthusiasts noting birds in notebooks is now a coordinated regional network generating millions of verified records — data that scientists, conservationists, and policymakers rely on to track migration, habitat change, and species decline.

And at the center of this transformation? A set of well-integrated tools and workflows that make participation simple, satisfying, and scientifically powerful.

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1. The Core Workflow: Merlin → eBird → BirdCount India

If you’re birding anywhere in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, or Bhutan, this trio forms the backbone of modern citizen science:

🪶 Step 1: Identify with Merlin

Merlin’s regional packs for India and South Asia include hundreds of local species, from the Indian Roller to the Malabar Whistling Thrush. You can identify birds offline — even deep inside a sanctuary with no signal.
Once you’re confident of your ID, tap “This is my bird” to log the sighting.

📋 Step 2: Upload to eBird

That same sighting syncs to eBird, where you can add count details, location, time, and habitat notes. eBird’s India portal is localized — with hotlists, challenges, and data tailored for subcontinental birders.

🌏 Step 3: Contribute to BirdCount India

Behind the scenes, your eBird records flow into BirdCount India, a partnership between the BirdLife network, the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), and local birding clubs.
Their teams curate, verify, and analyze submissions to produce countrywide trends — like the State of India’s Birds report, which is shaping real conservation decisions.

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2. Regional Add-ons: BirdNET and iNaturalist

🎧 BirdNET for Sound Data

In sound-rich tropical environments, visual ID isn’t always possible — think dense Western Ghats forests or mangrove thickets.
BirdNET excels here. Record bird calls, get automated suggestions, and cross-check them in Merlin. Uploading verified calls to eBird enriches acoustic datasets that are vital for AI model training and species monitoring.

🌿 iNaturalist for Habitat Context

Pairing iNaturalist with eBird gives your data ecological context. You might log a White-throated Kingfisher in eBird and, in the same spot, identify its perch tree in iNaturalist. This holistic approach helps researchers understand where birds thrive — not just that they exist.

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3. Workflows That Work in the Field

🔹 The “Pocket Birder” Workflow (for rural/remote areas)

• Download Merlin’s India and Nepal pack before heading out.

• Record bird calls offline.

• When back online, cross-check using BirdNET and upload to eBird.

• Join a regional WhatsApp group (many state birding societies have one) for help confirming tricky IDs.

🔹 The “Team Survey” Workflow (for clubs or schools)

• Assign routes and hotspots using eBird’s shared checklists.

• Use standardized survey durations (e.g., 15-min stationary counts).

• Review all checklists before submitting them to ensure consistent metadata.

• Submit to BirdCount India projects like Asian Waterbird Census or Great Backyard Bird Count.

🔹 The “Data-to-Insight” Workflow (for research-minded birders)

• Export your eBird data for a region of interest.

• Use R packages like auk or visualization tools like ShinyBirds.

• Identify seasonal trends or species shifts, and contribute insights back to local clubs or BirdCount forums.

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4. How India Is Building Its Own Birding Data Culture

Citizen science in India isn’t just about using global apps — it’s about local ownership of data and stories.

Projects like:

• MigrantWatch (tracking migratory species)

• Early Bird (a school-based birdwatching program)

• Kerala Bird Atlas and Tamil Nadu Bird Atlas
  have demonstrated that consistent, community-led data collection can be as rigorous as formal surveys.

Meanwhile, universities and NGOs are beginning to analyze eBird data alongside satellite imagery and climate layers — turning citizen logs into models of habitat change, crop–bird interactions, and urban biodiversity resilience.

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5. What’s Next: AI, Policy, and Participation

South Asia’s bird data is exploding — but its power lies in how it’s used.
New initiatives aim to:

• Integrate AI-assisted monitoring using BirdNET datasets and low-cost recorders.

• Feed data directly into national biodiversity portals like India’s IndOBIS and GBIF.

• Influence policy — such as wetland protection priorities — using State of India’s Birds trend maps.

In the near future, even rural schools may run small bird observatories powered by old smartphones, collecting sounds and sightings daily. The age of community observatories is dawning.

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6. Why It Matters

Every checklist you upload, every call you record, adds a pixel to the bigger picture of South Asia’s avian life. From the rooftop kites of Delhi to the waders of Chilika, each record tells a story — of migration, adaptation, or loss.

Citizen science isn’t just about data. It’s about democratizing observation, giving everyone — farmer, student, or scientist — the means to notice and contribute.

And in noticing, we begin to protect.

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🌍 The Takeaway

Citizen science in India and South Asia is no longer a hobbyist’s pastime — it’s becoming the region’s most powerful conservation tool.

By combining Merlin for discovery, eBird for documentation, and BirdCount India for data curation, birders here are setting a global example of what collaborative, community-driven science can achieve.

So the next time you lift your phone to identify that flash of wings, remember — you’re not just spotting a bird.
You’re helping map the living pulse of an entire subcontinent.

Charles Lyell: The Quiet Revolutionary Who Gave Deep Time to Science

What makes a scientific revolution?

Sometimes it’s not a dramatic discovery or a single eureka moment. Sometimes, it’s a quiet shift in how we see the world—a shift so profound that the entire landscape of science changes with it.

In a conversation between Professor Brian Cox and the legendary geologist and palaeontologist Richard Fortey, we’re invited to revisit one of the great but understated scientific revolutions of the 19th century. It’s the story of Charles Lyell, a man whose ideas reshaped geology, influenced the greatest biologists of all time, and gave humanity a new understanding of its place in Earth’s history.

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The World Before Lyell

Imagine the early 1800s. Geology is still a young field—more curiosity than science, more speculation than method.
The Earth, to many, appears static. Continents are fixed. Mountains are immutable monuments. Time is long… but not that long.

Into this emerging field steps Charles Lyell, armed not with grand theories, but with something surprisingly more radical: patience, observation, and skepticism of the hypothetical.

Richard Fortey describes a wonderful example—Lyell reviewing a scientific paper filled with eight hypothetical drawings. Lyell wasn’t impressed. Why draw imaginary cross-sections of the Earth when you can go out and look at the real thing? This was his signature approach. Geology, he believed, should be built on evidence, not assumption.

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A Temple That Changed Everything

One of the most iconic images in Lyell’s Principles of Geology is the Temple of Serapis on the Bay of Naples. Its limestone columns bear unmistakable rings left behind by marine clams—evidence that the temple had once been submerged, and later raised again.

This wasn’t a small observation.
It was a seismic intellectual shift.

The Earth wasn’t fixed.
It moved.
It changed.
It rose and fell.
And these changes were natural, continuous, and ongoing.

Lyell’s world was one in which processes we see today—erosion, sedimentation, uplift—are the same ones that sculpted the ancient world. This concept, called uniformitarianism, was the first truly scientific foundation for geology.

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Lyell and Darwin: A Meeting of Minds Across Pages

When Charles Darwin picked up Volume One of Principles of Geology in 1830, he didn’t just read a book—he absorbed a new way of thinking.

Darwin later wrote:

“The great merit of the Principles was that it altered the whole tone of one’s mind… one yet saw it partially through his eyes.”

Lyell didn’t just provide explanations; he provided time—vast, unimaginable stretches of time.
Millions of years. Enough time for rivers to carve canyons. Enough time for continents to rise and fall.
And crucially, enough time for evolution.

Without Lyell’s deep time, Darwin’s natural selection would have been impossible.

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A Scientist Ahead of His Time

Lyell worked during an age when much of the world was being geologically explored for the first time—Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, dramatic landscapes begging for explanation. He approached them not with myth but with method.

His insistence on empirical observation, his rejection of unfounded speculation, and his ability to read the slow, patient handwriting of nature made him a revolutionary. He didn’t shout; he persuaded. And in doing so, he transformed geology from a hobby for gentlemen into a scientific discipline with global consequences.

As Richard Fortey beautifully puts it, Lyell was “without peer” as a communicator of this new science. His influence extended far beyond geology—into biology, ecology, and the very way science understands change.

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A Conversation Worth Watching

This rich and thoughtful discussion between Brian Cox and Richard Fortey captures the essence of why Charles Lyell still matters today: he changed how we see. If you’re fascinated by the history of science, the evolution of ideas, or the hidden forces that shaped modern biology and geology, this conversation is a gem.

🎥 Watch the full conversation here:
People of Science – Brian Cox & Richard Fortey on Charles Lyell
https://youtu.be/mPFpaGFlqHo?si=vVi3-h0z4DiPnC8Y

Beyond Merlin: How Other Birding Apps Compare and Complement It

When Merlin Bird ID first arrived, it felt like magic — a free app that could listen, look, and tell you what bird you were seeing or hearing. But as any birder quickly learns, the digital field is broader than Merlin alone. Over the years, a whole ecosystem of apps has emerged — some focused on bird calls, others on data logging, community science, or detailed field guides.

So, if Merlin is the friendly wizard in your pocket, who are its companions in this modern birding fellowship? Let’s explore how Merlin stacks up — and teams up — with other birding apps.

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1. Merlin vs. Audubon Bird Guide: The Scholar and the Wizard

While Merlin charms you with quick, AI-driven IDs, the Audubon Bird Guide feels more like a classic mentor — a beautifully detailed field guide you can carry anywhere.

Audubon’s strength lies in its depth: each species profile is rich with behavioral notes, plumage variations, habitat details, and high-quality illustrations. It’s especially beloved in North America, where its coverage is strongest.

How they complement each other:
Use Merlin to identify what you saw or heard, then open Audubon to learn why that bird behaves as it does. Together, they blend speed and scholarship — the thrill of discovery with the pleasure of understanding.

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2. Merlin vs. BirdNET: The Battle of the Ears

If you’re the kind of birder who listens first and looks later, BirdNET deserves a place beside Merlin. Developed by the Cornell Lab (yes, the same team behind Merlin) and Chemnitz University of Technology, BirdNET specializes in audio recognition.

BirdNET can often identify calls that Merlin’s sound model might miss — especially in noisy habitats or regions still being added to Merlin’s coverage. But Merlin’s interface feels more polished, offering immediate playback and richer visual feedback.

Best practice: record with both. BirdNET is the audiophile’s tool; Merlin adds the context. The two share data roots, but their listening styles differ.

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3. Merlin vs. eBird: From Curiosity to Contribution

Merlin is for instant gratification; eBird is for lasting impact.

Run by the same Cornell Lab of Ornithology, eBird turns your sightings into global data. Every time you record a checklist, you contribute to one of the world’s largest biodiversity databases — the same data that trains Merlin’s models.

How to use both together:
Identify with Merlin, then log your confirmed observations in eBird. The two sync naturally — Merlin’s “This is my bird” button can export sightings into your eBird life list. It’s a seamless loop between discovery and citizen science.

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4. Merlin vs. iNaturalist (and Seek): Beyond Birds

Sometimes your curiosity won’t stop at feathers. That’s where iNaturalist (and its beginner-friendly version, Seek) come in. They’re built for identifying all living things — plants, insects, mammals, even fungi.

Merlin is specialized and data-driven; iNaturalist is communal and democratic. Every observation becomes part of a global identification process, refined by experts and enthusiasts alike.

In short:

• Merlin teaches you what you’re seeing.

• iNaturalist shows you how others see it too.

Together, they widen your ecological lens — perfect for those who want to understand entire ecosystems, not just the birds.

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5. Merlin vs. Sibley and BirdsEye: For the Serious Birder

For advanced birders, The Sibley eGuide and BirdsEye cater to finer distinctions.

• Sibley is like the authoritative textbook: detailed illustrations, calls, and subspecies differences.

• BirdsEye is more like a real-time radar, alerting you to nearby sightings or rare species in your region.

If you’re already fluent in field marks and migration charts, these apps go beyond identification — they help you predict and find your next lifer.

Tip: Use Merlin for quick checks in the field, and Sibley or BirdsEye for deeper preparation before trips or surveys.

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The Verdict: Choose the App That Matches Your Birding Style

Birder Type	Best App Combo	Why
Newcomer	Merlin + Audubon	Friendly identification plus deep learning
Sound-focused birder	Merlin + BirdNET	Dual-system listening improves accuracy
Citizen scientist	Merlin + eBird	Instant ID + long-term data contribution
Nature generalist	Merlin + iNaturalist / Seek	Go beyond birds, explore full biodiversity
Field researcher / expert	Merlin + Sibley + BirdsEye	Detailed species info + hotspot intelligence

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The Bigger Picture: A Collaborative Future

No single app can replace the joy of field birding — the patience, the listening, the notebook smudged with rain. But together, these digital tools weave a network where every observation matters.

Merlin identifies; eBird organizes; iNaturalist verifies; BirdNET listens; Audubon teaches. Each contributes a different piece to the puzzle of understanding our planet’s avian life.

In the end, technology doesn’t distance us from nature — it helps us notice it more carefully. And in a world where birds are disappearing faster than ever, noticing is the first step to caring.

The Merlin Story: From Field Guide to Smart Identifier

Merlin was launched as a free mobile app to bring the power of Cornell’s birding databases to everyday users. Over time, it’s grown far beyond a static “book in your hands.” It now supports identification by question prompts (size, color, behavior), by photo, and by sound (in many regions). 

A core strength of Merlin is that it is built on—and continuously informed by—the massive user-submitted observation database eBird (and the Macaulay Library of photos and recordings). Merlin’s algorithms (for photo ID and sound ID) are trained using compiled bird photos, recordings, and metadata contributed by birders worldwide. 

In short: Merlin is not just static—it learns and evolves as more data comes in.

Key Features & How They Help

Here are the major features that make Merlin powerful and enjoyable to use:

1. Bird ID by prompts (Wizard / descriptive)

You can answer a few simple questions (where and when you saw the bird, how large it was, what main colors you saw, and what it was doing) and get a likely candidate list. Merlin filters out species unlikely for your location or season, narrowing possibilities.

This is great when you see a bird but can’t snap a clean photo or record a song.

2. Photo ID (computer vision)

You can feed Merlin a photo (camera or gallery) and the app uses computer vision to suggest likely species matches. It doesn’t always get the top one right, but in many cases it gives you a plausible shortlist.

Even if your photo is far from perfect (through foliage, a bit blurry, partial view), Merlin often still gives useful suggestions.

Photo ID is powered by models trained on large datasets from eBird / Macaulay Library and collaborators like Caltech / Visipedia.

3. Sound ID / Bird Song Recognition

This is one of Merlin’s coolest features: you can press “Sound ID,” and the app listens in real time (or from a recording) to identify which birds are singing nearby. It displays suggestions as it hears them.

Behind the scenes, Merlin transforms audio into a spectrogram (a visual frequency-vs-time display) and then runs its trained neural network to match patterns to known species.

However, Sound ID is not fully global yet: in many regions (especially less-studied ones) its species coverage is limited.

You can help expand the system by submitting recordings tagged with background species in eBird checklists.

4. Explore Birds / Likely Birds lists

Rather than waiting to identify one by one, you can browse all species likely for your location and date. Merlin lets you set a location (even in advance) so you can work offline.

You can also sort the list by “most likely” (instead of alphabetical) to focus on species with the highest probability.

5. Bird Packs for regions / travel

If you're traveling, you can download bird packs for specific regions (e.g. India, Europe, Central America) so that Merlin’s identification system is tailored to that area.

6. Saving / Life List (“Save My Bird”)

Once you're confident in an ID, you can tap “This is My Bird” to save it to your personal life list—complete with date, location, and saved to your Merlin profile.

Because Merlin is connected to eBird, your saved birds (and their metadata) are visible in your eBird interface (My eBird → Manage Checklists).

7. Offline support

One essential feature: once you’ve preloaded the relevant bird pack or configured location filters, Merlin will function offline (for ID, Explore Birds, and using saved location data). This is immensely useful when you're in the field out of cellular reach.

8. Sound and Photo Libraries / Reference media

For each bird species, Merlin includes photos, recordings of songs/calls, range maps, and descriptive notes. You can play back calls for reference or compare your observations.

Utility & Real-World Use

Here’s why Merlin is more than just a fun gadget—it adds real value to birding (for beginners and experienced alike):

• Instant feedback in the field. When you come across a bird you don’t recognize, Merlin can often give you candidate names right then and there—especially helpful when the bird flies off too quickly.

• Learning & education. By comparing your observations with what Merlin suggests, you train your eye and ear over time.

• Encouraging citizen science. Because Merlin is connected to eBird, your observations help strengthen the larger database (if you choose to upload via eBird).

• Expanding audio birding. Some birds are cryptic or low in visibility, but singing. Sound ID helps you “see” via ear.

• Travel support. You don’t need to carry multiple field guides; just download the regional pack and go.

• Memory & documentation. Your life list preserves not just the bird names but when/where you saw them.

• Supporting research and conservation. More observations (with verified metadata) help researchers understand species distributions, phenology, and shifts in ranges over time.

However, Merlin isn’t perfect. In complicated cases—very similar species, tricky lighting, overlapping songs—its suggestions may be ambiguous or incorrect. Many birders treat Merlin as a companion, not the final authority. Also, in poorly documented regions, Merlin’s models might not have as strong a foundation yet.

Some users in birding forums estimate ~75% accuracy for Sound ID in their contexts (i.e. it misses some and occasionally mislabels).

Still, its strengths and ease of use make it a powerful tool.

Integration with eBird & Other Databases

One of Merlin’s biggest advantages is how it leverages and interfaces with other birding data systems.

eBird & Macaulay Library

Merlin is tightly interwoven with eBird, Cornell’s platform for community bird observations:

• The species lists and likelihood models in Merlin come from aggregated eBird observations (hundreds of millions of checklists).
• Photo ID and Sound ID models are trained on large volumes of images and recordings from eBird checklists and the Macaulay Library. 
• When you save a bird in Merlin and mark it via “This is My Bird,” the data becomes part of your eBird interface (checklists) in many cases.

This synergy means Merlin “stands on the shoulders” of the global birding community.

Export / Interoperability

If you use other platforms (such as iNaturalist or other personal bird-logging tools), there is some possibility to export your Merlin records, though integration is not always seamless.

• Some users report exporting their Merlin list (CSV or similar) and then importing into iNaturalist or other systems.

• But because Merlin’s primary observational backend is eBird, the best “native” integration is with eBird.

• Note: Some birders suggest caution about over-automated merging between Merlin and eBird, especially when automatic IDs are used without validation. (In forums, some say that automatic use of Merlin’s IDs in eBird might lead to low-quality data). 

Beyond Birding Databases?

Merlin’s design is quite domain-specific, so it doesn’t integrate broadly with non-birding systems (ERP systems, for instance). (Do note: there is a commercial “Merlin” enterprise software in other domains, but that’s not related.)

So in essence, Merlin is built to connect deeply with the birding / citizen science ecosystem (not general business systems).  

Tips & Best Practices

To get the most out of Merlin, here are some user tips:

1. Pre-download your regional bird packs before going into remote areas so you can use it offline.

2. Set location filters ahead (in the Explore Birds menu) so Merlin knows which species to focus on.

3. Use multiple identification modes. E.g. if Photo ID is inconclusive, switch to descriptive or Sound ID (if allowed in your region).

4. Use good photo / audio habits. Try to get clear views (good lighting, minimal obstruction) and clear recordings (less background noise).

5. Verify suggestions. Don’t accept Merlin’s top suggestion blindly—compare with what you see/hear and the reference media.

6. Contribute recordings / media. If you have good audio recordings or photos, tagging background (other species) in eBird helps train the models.

7. Backup or export your life list if you use multiple platforms (in case you ever switch tools).

8. Stay aware of coverage limits. In under-sampled regions, some species may not yet be well represented by the models, so treat the output as suggestions, not guarantees.

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A Birding Companion, Not a Replacement

The beauty of Merlin isn’t that it replaces field guides or human expertise—it’s how it augments them.

• For beginners, it accelerates learning and reduces the frustration of not knowing what you saw.

• For intermediate or advanced birders, it’s a second opinion, a reference, a fast lookup tool.

• For regions or species you’re less familiar with, it helps fill gaps in your knowledge.

Because Merlin is kept free and open (in the sense of leveraging eBird’s open data), it encourages broader participation in birding and citizen science. Through smart integration and continuous model improvement, it’s helping transform what once was a hobby for enthusiasts into a more accessible, data-driven experience.