Great Basin Bird Observatory

What Great Basin Bird Observatory does

Great Basin Bird Observatory (GBBO) is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in January 1997 and headquartered in Reno, Nevada. Its mission is the conservation and understanding of bird populations in the Great Basin and adjoining regions through applied research, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and education. The organization employs approximately nine full-time scientists and project staff, supplemented by seasonal field crews and a community science volunteer network.

GBBO's core offerings center on long-running bird monitoring programs. The Nevada Bird Count, launched in 2002, is the richest source of landbird conservation data for Nevada, integrating statewide surveillance monitoring with effectiveness monitoring of conservation projects. The Nevada Breeding Bird Atlas (1997-2000) was the first comprehensive statewide inventory, covering 769 atlas blocks with predictive distribution models for 243 species. Specialized monitoring programs cover Golden Eagle nesting (since 2011, with 1,175 confirmed nest sites and 2,673 nest structures), Truckee River riparian recovery (17+ years), Walker River riparian surveys, Lower Colorado River riparian obligate species (six species under the LCR-MSCP), Desert Thrashers in Nevada and Sonora, Arizona coordinated bird monitoring (since 2016), and Pinyon Jay research documenting an 80% population decline since 1970. Technology is GIS-centric, built on ESRI Survey123 for community data collection (Pinyon Jay Community Science Hub) and ArcGIS StoryMaps for annual reporting, with integration to eBird, iNaturalist, and the Avian Knowledge Network. Education offerings include the Birdsong Learning Program and standardized volunteer surveyor training.

GBBO's revenue is a mix of grants and contracts (from federal and state agencies, tribes, and conservation nonprofits), individual donations, membership fees, merchandise sales ($8-$30 SKUs), and event registration fees. Primary customers are federal and state wildlife and land management agencies (USFWS, BLM, NDOW, Bureau of Reclamation, Arizona Game and Fish), with secondary segments including conservation NGOs (The Nature Conservancy), tribal governments (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe), academic institutions (UNR), and citizen scientists. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise engagement on grant-funded projects with a community-led model using volunteer data collection, monthly science-oriented bird walks, the annual Nevada Bird-a-thon fundraiser, and webinar-based public education.

Name

Great Basin Bird Observatory

Legal name

Great Basin Bird Observatory

Website

https://gbbo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Basin Bird Observatory is a Reno, Nevada-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that conducts applied bird conservation science, statewide landbird monitoring, and community science programs across Nevada, Arizona, and the Lower Colorado River for federal and state agencies, tribes, and conservation partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Research and Monitoring Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs (EUAHAHAE), Terrestrial Ecology & Habitat Surveys (EUAHAHAA)

Keywords

• Bird conservation research
• Wildlife monitoring services
• Avian habitat assessment
• Community science programs
• Landbird survey data

Headquarters

HQ city

Reno

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Support: Direct donations from individuals and organizations to support bird conservation science; includes online donation capability on website
2. Membership Program: Annual membership fees providing ongoing support and engagement with the organization
3. Merchandise Sales: Sales of branded merchandise including t-shirts, hats, water bottles, and the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Nevada; all proceeds support GBBO mission
4. Event Registration: Registration fees for events such as Bird-a-thon competitions, Pinyon Jay expeditions, and bird walks; some events like camping trips have registration fees
5. Grants and Contracts: Funded partnerships with government agencies and conservation organizations for specific bird monitoring, inventory, and research projects

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Great Basin Bird Observatory is a non-profit scientific organization that delivers bird conservation research, standardized statewide bird monitoring, species-specific monitoring (Pinyon Jay, Golden Eagle, desert thrashers), and environmental consulting services to government agencies, tribes, and conservation organizations. It supplements these professional services with public education, community science programs, and a merchandise store to support its mission.

Product overview

Great Basin Bird Observatory operates as a non-profit scientific organization offering a portfolio of interconnected bird conservation programs and services. The core offerings include the Nevada Bird Count (statewide landbird monitoring), Nevada Breeding Bird Atlas, and Pinyon Jay Community Science Program, supported by specialized monitoring projects on the Lower Colorado River, Walker River, Truckee River, and Golden Eagle/Golden Eagle research. Conservation planning is delivered through the Nevada Comprehensive Bird Conservation Plan. The organization also provides education via the Birdsong Learning Program and training tools, runs the annual Nevada Bird-a-thon fundraising event, and maintains a merchandise store. Geographic scope includes Nevada, Arizona, and the Lower Colorado River region, with headquarters in Reno, Nevada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pinyon Jay Community Science: Community science initiative for Pinyon Jay conservation research and data collection
• Nevada Bird-a-thon
• Nevada Bird Count

Products and services

• Nevada Bird Count Habitat-based statewide landbird monitoring program integrating surveillance monitoring for population status and trends with effectiveness monitoring of conservation projects; the richest source of landbird conservation data for Nevada. Delivered to government agencies, conservation organizations, and researchers.
• Nevada Breeding Bird Atlas First comprehensive statewide inventory of Nevada's breeding birds, covering 769 atlas blocks with nearly 10,000 incidental records and predictive distribution models for 243 species. Over 400 volunteer surveyors contributed more than 14,000 hours. Published as the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Nevada in 2007.
• Pinyon Jay Community Science Program Volunteer-based citizen science initiative using ESRI Survey123 app for data collection on Pinyon Jay sightings and absence data, plus Pinyon Pine Cone Productivity Assessment to understand population declines. Built on an ESRI ArcGIS-based Pinyon Jay Community Science Hub.
• Lower Colorado River Riparian Bird Monitoring System-wide monitoring project for riparian obligate birds as part of the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, covering six MSCP-covered species including Gilded Flicker, Gila Woodpecker, Vermilion Flycatcher, Arizona Bell's Vireo, Sonoran Yellow Warbler, and Summer Tanager. Funded by the Bureau of Reclamation.
• Walker River Riparian Bird Surveys Long-term riparian bird monitoring program with 20 point count survey transects from Walker Lake delta to Sierra Nevada foothills, using bird community as environmental indicators for riparian restoration planning.
• Truckee River Bird Monitoring Longest landbird monitoring project at GBBO, spanning 17+ years across the lower Truckee River from Lockwood to the Pyramid Lake delta. Documents recovery of riparian bird species following habitat restoration efforts. Funded by The Nature Conservancy of Nevada.
• Golden Eagle Status Assessment and Monitoring Golden Eagle nest inventory across Nevada since 2011 using ground-based surveys combined with Nevada Department of Wildlife helicopter surveys, confirming 1,175 nest sites and 2,673 nest structures.
• Elf Owl Habitat Use and Detectability Research Research project to determine the most effective survey methods for Elf Owls, measuring their response to call-playback methods at various distances, times of night, and lunar cycles along the Lower Colorado River.
• Waterbirds of Western Nevada Terminal Lakes Monitoring Monitoring program for migrating waterbirds at Nevada's western terminal lakes since 2012, assessing each lake's suitability for fish-eating birds and invertebrate feeders under different climate conditions. Funded by the USFWS Lahontan Fish Hatchery Complex.
• Nevada Comprehensive Bird Conservation Plan Comprehensive plan summarizing status, conservation issues, habitat needs, and threats to birds of Nevada, serving as a decision support tool for conservation planning and habitat implementation projects.
• Desert Thrasher Monitoring Monitoring program for LeConte's and Bendire's Thrashers in Nevada and Sonora, Mexico, active since 2017, with focus areas including Avi Kwa Ame National Monument.
• Arizona Bird Monitoring Partnership with Arizona Game and Fish Department since 2016 to assist with general bird monitoring as part of the Arizona Coordinated Bird Monitoring program.
• Environmental Consulting Services Consulting services including avian mortality monitoring at Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Facility and Altamont Wind Energy Resources Area, and disturbance buffer guidelines evaluation for BLM.
• Birdsong Learning Program Digital flashcard system to train users in recognizing common birdsongs of Nevada across different habitat types, created by Dana Hartley. Available through the GBBO Training Tools page.
• GBBO Online Store (Merchandise and Publications) Online store selling Bird-a-thon t-shirts, GBBO apparel, commemorative items, water bottles, and the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Nevada book. Items range from $8 to $30, with all proceeds supporting GBBO's mission.
• Nevada Bird-a-thon Annual fundraising competition where participants observe the most bird species while raising funds for GBBO's conservation science programs, with regional events in Reno and Las Vegas.
• Pinyon Jay Bioblitz Events Community science expeditions and bioblitz events focused on Pinyon Jay data collection and Pinyon Pine Cone Productivity Assessment, including events at Great Basin National Park with partners like Soldiers2Scientists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Confirmed 1,175 Golden Eagle nest sites and 2,673 nest structures across Nevada since 2011
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partner providing funding and collaboration for bird monitoring projects including Walker River monitoring, waterbird studies, and conservation planning; USFWS Lahontan Fish Hatchery Complex funds terminal lakes waterbird monitoring
• Nevada Department of WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner collaborating on statewide bird monitoring including Nevada Bird Count, Golden Eagle nest inventory, and sagebrush-blackbrush monitoring; NDOW provides helicopter survey support for Golden Eagle inventories
• Bureau of Land ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal land management agency partner for bird monitoring on BLM lands including Crescent Dunes Solar Energy impact monitoring, disturbance buffer guidelines evaluation, and Pinyon Jay radiotelemetry research
• Bureau of ReclamationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency partner for Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (LCR MSCP) system-wide monitoring and Elf Owl habitat research; Lower Colorado Region funds riparian bird monitoring from Lake Mead to Mexican border
• The Nature Conservancy of NevadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation nonprofit funding Truckee River bird monitoring for 17 years, the longest landbird monitoring project GBBO has conducted; collaboration on restoration planning at McCarran Ranch Preserve
• University of Nevada RenocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for bird monitoring projects including Walker River monitoring and Golden Eagle research; collaboration with Great Basin Landscape Ecology Lab; UNR Museum of Natural History provides gull specimens for education programs
• Pyramid Lake Paiute TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTribal partner in Truckee River bird monitoring and watershed-wide restoration planning
• Arizona Game and Fish DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for Arizona bird monitoring since 2016 as part of Arizona Coordinated Bird Monitoring program; collaboration on Elf Owl research and species conservation
• Southern Nevada Water AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal water authority partner for Las Vegas Wash bird and habitat monitoring and Warm Springs Natural Area bird monitoring; SNWA funds NBC redesign evaluation and habitat assessment
• Intermountain Bird ObservatorysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional bird observatory partner for coordinated bird monitoring efforts in the Intermountain West
• Point Blue Conservation SciencesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation science nonprofit partner for bird monitoring and conservation planning initiatives
• Rocky Mountain Bird ObservatorysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional bird observatory partner in the Joint Venture network for bird conservation
• Northwest Nevada Bird AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormerly Lahontan Audubon Society; Audubon chapter partner for field trips, volunteer events, Christmas Bird Count coordination, and community science programs including Pinyon Jay monitoring
• Red Rock Audubon SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAudubon chapter partner for southern Nevada activities including Christmas Bird Counts, Red Rock events, and collaboration on conservation projects
• Soldiers2ScientistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner supporting veterans through outdoor recreation and environmental research; annual collaboration on Pinyon Jay Community Science expeditions at Great Basin National Park; veterans assist with data collection and field surveys
• Pigeon Head BreweryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReno-based brewery collaborated on 'Burrower's Brew' special beer to celebrate Nevada Bird-a-thon; partnership for community events, trivia nights, and volunteer appreciation gatherings
• Avian Knowledge NetworksecondaryTechnology or IntegrationNetwork partner for integrating and sharing bird monitoring data with regional coordinated bird monitoring databases
• Otis Bay Ecological ConsultantsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate ecological consulting firm partner for bird monitoring and conservation projects
• Newmont Mining CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate mining company partner supporting bird conservation efforts

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation nonprofit and a major funder/partner of GBBO (funding the 17-year Truckee River monitoring project). While much larger and operating across many taxa, TNC is a directly relevant partner-organization peer for grant-funded conservation science delivery.
• American Bird Conservancy: American Bird Conservancy is a hemispheric bird conservation organization working on habitat protection, BirdLife International partnerships, and species-specific programs. While operating at a much larger scale, it pursues an overlapping conservation science and policy agenda relevant to GBBO's work on declining species such as the Pinyon Jay.
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Cornell Lab of Ornithology is the largest and most established bird science institution in the U.S., operating eBird — a platform GBBO's community scientists actively use. While much larger in scope and budget, it is comparable as a science-driven ornithology organization producing monitoring data and decision-support tools.
• National Audubon Society: National Audubon Society is the largest U.S. bird conservation nonprofit, with state and regional chapters that GBBO partners with for Christmas Bird Counts, field trips, and volunteer mobilization. It is a broader incumbent that touches the same audiences and conservation agenda.

Direct peers

• Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is a long-standing raptor conservation organization combining long-term migration counts, applied research, and education. It is comparable to GBBO in operating model (science nonprofit, long-term datasets, training programs), though focused on raptors rather than landbirds.
• Intermountain Bird Observatory: Intermountain Bird Observatory at Boise State University conducts long-term bird banding, migration monitoring, and community science in Idaho and the broader Intermountain West. GBBO explicitly identifies it as a regional observatory partner with overlapping methodology and partner networks.
• Klamath Bird Observatory: Klamath Bird Observatory is a Pacific Northwest regional bird observatory focused on landbird monitoring, mist-netting, and community science. It is closely comparable in scale, mission, and operating model to GBBO and is part of the same Joint Venture and observatory network.
• Point Blue Conservation Science: Point Blue is a California-based conservation science nonprofit that conducts bird monitoring, habitat research, and community science programs across the Pacific Flyway. Listed as a GBBO strategic partner, it is the closest functional analog in the western U.S. bird observatory ecosystem.
• Bird Conservancy of the Rockies: Bird Conservancy of the Rockies (formerly Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory) is a regional bird monitoring and conservation nonprofit operating across the Rocky Mountain and Intermountain West. It is directly comparable to GBBO in mission, methodology, and partner ecosystem, and GBBO explicitly lists it as a strategic partner.

Others

• Southern Nevada Water Authority: SNWA is a water utility that funds and partners with GBBO for Las Vegas Wash bird monitoring, illustrating the kind of regulated infrastructure agency that increasingly funds environmental monitoring. Included as an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct peer, but represents a growing buyer profile for GBBO's services.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Great-Basin-Bird-Observatory/119869693228
• Instagraminstagram.com/greatbasinbirdobservatory
• Xx.com/greatbasinbirds

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Great Basin Bird Observatory