I don't think I agree, I was just on holiday in a new country and am not a birder, but with birdnet and Merlin I learned to identify birds by song quite quickly. If not for the apps how would you even find out what bird you hear if you never see it, as happens often in dense forest?
A really specific scenario that might illustrate my point! App or no app, I would accept at the outset it may not be possible, or even advisable, to attempt positive identifications (by ear) of unfamiliar species in a country I've never visited, unless I were in the company of an experienced local friend or guide. Otherwise, I would concentrate on getting good quality field recordings to share when I got home. Same thing goes for birding at home..Merlin and other apps simply cannot approximate that kind of experience building, at this time.
