Merlin has made amazing advances, but can still miss a lot of things or offer up some pretty strange suggestions. Without seeing or hearing the bird in question, I wouldn't put complete faith in Merlin identifications. I think there are too many eBird lists including rare or uncommon species where the only details included are "ID by Merlin."  At least for now, a Merlin ID is just the first step in documenting a bird. One of the best features Merlin offers is a platform for making and saving recordings. You can also upload them to your eBird lists. 

A recent Sacramento Audubon Society piece addresses this topic:

Take care,

Chris Conard

Sacramento