Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

What Bird Conservancy of the Rockies does

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (EIN 84-1079882) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1988 in Brighton, Colorado, operating through three offices (Brighton headquarters at the Old Stone House Environmental Learning Center, Fort Collins, and Scottsbluff, Nebraska) with a staff of 51-100. The organization conserves birds and their habitats through integrated science, education, and land stewardship programs serving federal and state land management agencies, private landowners, K-12 schools and families, and community scientists across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Central Flyway, and the Chihuahuan Desert region of Mexico.

The technical core is the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) program — the second-largest breeding bird monitoring program in North America — which deploys a statistically rigorous, spatially balanced sampling design to generate population, density, occupancy, and trend estimates for 300+ species. Companion assets include the Great Plains-Chihuahuan Desert Motus automated radio-telemetry network (operating Cellular Tracking Technologies SensorStations across the flyway), the Rocky Mountain Avian Data Center 2.0 public web portal, the hosted Partners in Flight Avian Conservation Assessment Database (ACAD) and Population Estimates Database (PED), and a Shiny application that visualizes tagged-bird migration pathways.

Revenue is generated from federal grants (US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service), state agency contracts, foundation funding (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Knobloch Family Foundation, Partners in Flight), individual donations, and program fees for educational offerings such as bird banding, summer camps, school programs, and birding tours. Executive Director Tammy VerCauteren has led the organization since 2008, supported by a senior team that includes a Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Conservation Scientist, and directors of Stewardship, Education, Research, Science Operations, Development, and Communications.

Name

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

Legal name

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies

Website

https://birdconservancy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the second-largest breeding bird monitoring program in North America, serving federal and state agencies, private landowners, schools, and community scientists across the Rockies and Great Plains through science, education, and land stewardship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (BPAGAIAI), Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH)

Keywords

• Bird conservation services
• Avian monitoring programs
• Wildlife habitat stewardship
• Environmental education programs
• Citizen science initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Brighton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from supporters who believe in bird conservation. Tax-deductible charitable contributions under 501(c)(3) status.
2. Grants and Government Funding: Funding from federal agencies (US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service), state agencies, and foundations to support monitoring, research, and conservation programs.
3. Program Fees: Fees for educational programs including bird camps, school programs, and birding tours. Partially supported by Scientific & Cultural Facilities District.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses including King Soopers Community Rewards and One Percent for the Planet members.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies delivers integrated bird conservation through three programs: Science (IMBCR monitoring, Motus wildlife tracking, ACAD/PED databases), Education (school programs, bird camps, banding stations, Environmental Learning Center), and Stewardship (private-lands technical assistance, grassland and wetland habitat programs). Its services are provided to federal and state agencies, landowners, schools, families, and citizen scientists across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and Mexico.

Product overview

Bird Conservancy of the Rockies operates a comprehensive conservation platform centered on three pillars: Science, Education, and Stewardship. The core scientific infrastructure includes the IMBCR Program (Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions) — the second largest breeding bird monitoring program in North America — which feeds data into the Rocky Mountain Avian Data Center 2.0 and Motus Shiny Application for public access and analysis. Supporting programs include the Great Plains-Chihuahuan Desert Motus Network for migratory bird tracking, focal species monitoring (Black Swift, Mexican Spotted Owl, Mountain Plover), and non-breeding season surveys across the Chihuahuan Desert. The education portfolio comprises bird banding stations, Bird Camps, school programs, and the Environmental Learning Center at Barr Lake State Park. Community science initiatives (Bald Eagle Watch, Project Colony Watch, Urban Owl Project) engage volunteers in data collection. The organization also offers landowner outreach and stewardship programs through its Sustainable Grazing Network and Central Grasslands Roadmap Initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) Program The second largest breeding bird monitoring program in North America, coordinating systematic surveys of breeding birds across private and public lands from the Great Plains to the Great Basin using a statistically rigorous, spatially balanced probabilistic sampling design for federal, state, and nonprofit partners.
• Rocky Mountain Avian Data Center 2.0 User-friendly web portal providing public access to IMBCR monitoring data, including customizable population estimates, density, occupancy, and trend analyses through interactive mapping and data visualizations.
• Avian Conservation Assessment & Population Estimates Databases (ACAD & PED) Collaboratively developed databases hosted by Bird Conservancy that provide standardized population estimates and conservation status assessments for North American landbirds across Canada, the US, and Mexico.
• Motus Shiny Application Interactive web application consolidating Motus tracking data for the Great Plains-Chihuahuan Desert Network, displaying station network maps, tagged bird counts, and migration pathways.
• Great Plains-Chihuahuan Desert Motus Network Collaborative network of automated Motus telemetry stations in the Great Plains-Chihuahuan Desert region, supporting continent-scale tracking of migratory grassland birds using radio tags and cellular/WiFi-connected SensorStations.
• Black Swift Monitoring Program Long-term monitoring of Black Swift populations through the Black Swift Monitoring Network, documenting occupancy at historical and potential nesting sites across Colorado and northern New Mexico.
• Mexican Spotted Owl Monitoring Occupancy monitoring of Mexican Spotted Owl populations in National Forests across Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico using nighttime surveys and standardized field protocols.
• Non-breeding Season Monitoring Program Grassland bird monitoring during the non-breeding season across the Chihuahuan Desert from Texas to northern Mexico, assessing status and trend for species of conservation concern on working lands and priority conservation areas.
• Urban Owl Project Community science initiative studying Eastern Screech Owls in urban environments along Colorado's Northern Front Range, with donors receiving nest boxes and contributing to hands-on conservation research.
• Bird Banding Stations and Programs Hands-on bird banding experiences at Barr Lake and other locations, offering public education and community science participation in avian research and monitoring.
• Bird Camps Day and overnight camps for youth providing outdoor education experiences focused on bird conservation, natural history, and environmental stewardship.
• School Programs Environmental education programs for schools and homeschool students delivered at the Environmental Learning Center and through classroom visits, fostering a conservation ethic in youth.
• Community Science Programs Volunteer-based citizen science opportunities including Bald Eagle Watch, Project Colony Watch, and Eastern Screech Owl monitoring, enabling public participation in bird conservation data collection.
• Environmental Learning Center Educational facility at Barr Lake State Park headquarters offering interpretive signs, demonstration gardens, trails, and an outdoor amphitheater for landowner, teacher, student, and family programs.
• Private-Lands Stewardship and Technical Assistance On-site consultation, conservation planning, and habitat enhancement assistance delivered to private landowners and agricultural producers across the western US through the Sustainable Grazing Network and regional wildlife habitat biologists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Second largest breeding bird monitoring program in North America
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBird monitoring across 270+ parks in Northern Great Plains Network and 32 eco-regional networks under IMBCR program since 2013.
• US Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partnership since 2001 to monitor bird populations on National Forests and Grasslands across Regions 1, 2, 3, and 4. First long-term bird monitoring for National Grasslands.
• Bureau of Land ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for bird surveys across BLM lands in Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Montana, North and South Dakota, Idaho, California, Wyoming, Arizona, and New Mexico.
• Colorado Parks and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide bird monitoring programs in Colorado as part of IMBCR. Education program support through Scientific & Cultural Facilities District.
• Partners In FlightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts Avian Conservation Assessment Database (ACAD) and Population Estimates Database (PED) for North American landbirds. Manages PIF Species Assessment Database.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative landscape-scale conservation initiatives including grassland bird research and Playa Lakes Joint Venture partnership.
• Audubon RockiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional avian conservation partnership supporting collaborative bird monitoring and habitat conservation in the Rocky Mountain region.
• Arizona Game and Fish DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState wildlife agency partner in IMBCR program supporting bird monitoring in Arizona.
• Montana Fish, Wildlife and ParksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner in IMBCR statewide bird monitoring in Montana.
• Wyoming Game and Fish DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner supporting IMBCR monitoring programs in Wyoming.
• Utah Division of Wildlife ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner in IMBCR statewide bird monitoring in Utah.
• Nebraska Game and Parks CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner in IMBCR and Northern Great Plains programs.
• Motus/Birds CanadacoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal collaborative network of automated radio telemetry stations. Bird Conservancy operates GPCD Motus network as part of this global system.
• University of MontanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing to IMBCR bird monitoring and research.
• King SoopersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner through King Soopers Community Rewards program supporting conservation efforts.
• One Percent for the PlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnvironmental giving network where members donate 1% of sales to approved environmental nonprofits.
• Great Basin Bird ObservatoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional bird observatory partner in IMBCR network for western US bird monitoring.
• Klamath Bird ObservatoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional bird observatory partner in IMBCR network.
• Intermountain Bird ObservatoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional bird observatory partner supporting IMBCR bird monitoring.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Audubon Society: The largest US bird conservation organization with multi-state chapters, the Audubon magazine brand, and a national network of local Audubon societies; competes for the same donor base and federal agency relationships but at much greater scale and broader geographic scope than Bird Conservancy of the Rockies.
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Cornell University-based research and education institution operating eBird, Birds of the World, and citizen science platforms; complementary to Bird Conservancy of the Rockies' IMBCR program but with much larger scientific staff, global data reach, and a university-backed funding model.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the largest global conservation nonprofits with whom Bird Conservancy partners on grassland bird research and Playa Lakes Joint Venture; comparable in working on private lands conservation but operates across all taxonomic groups, not just birds, and at much larger scale.
• Ducks Unlimited: Habitat-focused waterfowl and wetland conservation nonprofit with extensive federal partnership infrastructure and Biologists across North America; shares Bird Conservancy's federal contracting model and Joint Venture participation (Playa Lakes, Northern Great Plains) but specializes in waterfowl and wetlands rather than passerines.

Direct peers

• American Bird Conservancy: National nonprofit focused exclusively on bird conservation across the Americas with comparable hemispheric scope; overlaps with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies on private lands habitat work, federal advocacy, and Migratory Bird Joint Venture participation, but ABC concentrates more on policy and less on field monitoring.
• Point Blue Conservation Science: California-based nonprofit applying scientific methods to conservation with strong bird monitoring expertise (Palmer Station long-term bird monitoring, STCMA program); comparable to Bird Conservancy of the Rockies in combining rigorous science, education, and habitat stewardship, but focused on the Pacific Flyway.
• Klamath Bird Observatory: Oregon-based regional bird observatory and IMBCR network partner; shares Bird Conservancy of the Rockies' monitoring methodology, station-based science approach, and federal contracting model, but operates at smaller scale in the Klamath-Siskiyou region.
• Intermountain Bird Observatory: Boise State University-affiliated bird observatory and IMBCR partner focused on Intermountain West long-term monitoring and migration studies; directly comparable in scientific methodology and partnership role, but university-backed rather than independent nonprofit.
• Great Basin Bird Observatory: Nevada-based regional IMBCR partner conducting landbird monitoring in the Great Basin; comparable in monitoring methodology, federal land agency contracts, and bird banding programs, but with a more geographically constrained remit.
• Birds Canada: Canadian national bird conservation organization that operates the global Motus Wildlife Tracking System; directly comparable as a partner organization integrating Bird Conservancy of the Rockies' GPCD Motus network into a broader hemisphere-scale telemetry infrastructure for migratory birds.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BirdConservancy
• Facebookfacebook.com/birdconservancy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bird-conservancy-of-the-rockies
• Instagraminstagram.com/birdconservancyrockies
• Xx.com/birdconservancy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bird Conservancy of the Rockies