What BirdsCaribbean does

BirdsCaribbean is the largest regional non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of wild birds and their habitats in the insular Caribbean, including Bermuda, the Bahamas, and all islands within the Caribbean basin. Founded in 1988 as the Society of Caribbean Ornithology (SCO) and rebranded to its current name in 2015, the IRS 501(c)(3) organization is incorporated in Washington, D.C., and serves a membership of over 1,200 individuals and supporters alongside more than 100 partner organizations spanning NGOs, government agencies, academic institutions, and community groups. Its operational reach extends to 100,000+ local participants annually across roughly 30 countries.

The organization delivers a portfolio of programs organized around monitoring, education, research, and community engagement. Monitoring offerings include the Caribbean Waterbird Census, the Landbird Monitoring Program (with Motus telemetry stations and the Caribbean Bird Banding Network), Seabird Conservation initiatives, and the Caribbean Piping Plover Survey. Education and outreach encompass the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, World Migratory Bird Day, BirdSleuth Caribbean (a Cornell Lab of Ornithology curriculum adaptation), and the West Indian Whistling-Duck and Wetlands Conservation Project. Research is anchored by the peer-reviewed Journal of Caribbean Ornithology and the Complete Checklist of the Birds of the West Indies, while biennial international conferences (25th edition scheduled for Trinidad in 2026) and a Grants Program support capacity building across the region.

Revenue is generated through membership dues, individual donations via the Givebutter platform, grants from institutional funders, and corporate sponsorships. The organization coordinates with strategic partners including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, BirdLife International, Environment for the Americas, and Manomet Conservation Sciences. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors, with Lisa Sorenson, Ph.D. serving as Executive Director since 2013 and Adrianne Tossas, Ph.D. as President. The operating model is community-led, distributed across seven working groups covering monitoring, seabirds, endemic and threatened species, invasives, Black-capped Petrel, media, and the West Indies checklist.

Name

BirdsCaribbean

Legal name

BirdsCaribbean

Website

https://birdscaribbean.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BirdsCaribbean is the largest regional non-profit organization dedicated to conserving wild birds and their habitats across the insular Caribbean, serving 1,200+ members, 100+ partner organizations, and 100,000+ annual program participants through monitoring, education, research, and community engagement programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Wildlife Viewing & Birdwatching Tours (THAAAEAB), Conservation, Research & Volunteer Experiences (THAJAIAJ), Wildlife & Animal Care Volunteering (EDAIAGAE)

Keywords

• Bird conservation
• Wildlife monitoring
• Citizen science
• Environmental education
• Habitat preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Non-profit membership organization generating revenue through annual membership fees from individuals (scientists, educators, conservationists, birders, and community leaders) who support Caribbean bird conservation.
2. Donations and fundraising: Organization accepts donations through Givebutter platform and conducts fundraising campaigns such as the Global Big Day fundraising for travel scholarships.
3. Grants and corporate sponsors: Revenue from grants, corporate sponsors (such as Wildside Nature Tours), bird tourism, and other sources as part of diversified funding strategy.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BirdsCaribbean runs a portfolio of regional bird-conservation programs across the Caribbean, including public awareness festivals (Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival, World Migratory Bird Day), citizen-science monitoring initiatives (Caribbean Waterbird Census, Landbird Monitoring Program), the Caribbean Birding Trail eco-tourism initiative, the BirdSleuth Caribbean youth education program, the peer-reviewed Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, biennial international conferences, conservation grants, and a mentorship program. It serves scientists, educators, conservationists, government agencies, and community leaders through 100+ partner organizations across the insular Caribbean.

Product overview

BirdsCaribbean offers a suite of conservation programs organized around education, monitoring, and public engagement. Core offerings include the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) and World Migratory Bird Day for awareness campaigns; the Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC) and Landbird Monitoring Program for scientific monitoring; the Caribbean Birding Trail for eco-tourism; BirdSleuth Caribbean for youth education; and the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO) for research publication. The organization also runs the biennial International Conference, Grants Program, and Mentorship Program. These programs work together to build regional capacity for bird conservation through training, citizen science, research, and community outreach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Journal of Caribbean Ornithology (JCO): The peer-reviewed journal published by BirdsCaribbean for ornithological research and conservation studies in the Caribbean region.

Products and services

• Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) Annual celebration program raising public awareness, knowledge and appreciation for the region's endemic bird species found nowhere else in the world.
• Caribbean Waterbird Census (CWC)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 local people participate in programs annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for sponsoring the publication of many local bird field guides and supporting BirdsCaribbean programs.
• Environment for the AmericascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Environment for the Americas to celebrate International Migratory Bird Day and raise awareness about migratory birds and Caribbean habitats.
• Cornell Lab of OrnithologycoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Cornell Lab of Ornithology using BirdSleuth International curriculum adapted for Caribbean context. Also collaborates on eBird Caribbean Portal integration.
• Manomet Conservation SciencesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Manomet Conservation Sciences and Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources to host five-day Shorebird and Waterbird Identification workshop.
• 100+ Caribbean OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of over 100 partner organizations including NGOs, government agencies, academic institutions, and community groups working together to implement conservation programs across the Caribbean.
• eBirdcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with eBird Caribbean Portal for bird observation recording and data collection to keep the West Indies bird checklist up to date.
• BirdLife InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership implementing Important Bird Areas (IBA) program in Puerto Rico. Continued collaboration on bird conservation initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BirdLife International: BirdLife International is the world's largest global partnership of conservation organizations focused on birds. BirdsCaribbean has a historical partnership with BirdLife (Important Bird Areas program in Puerto Rico) and operates as the regional Caribbean affiliate, making it the closest structural peer in terms of mission and network model.
• Grupo Jaragua: Grupo Jaragua is a Dominican Republic-based biodiversity conservation NGO working on Hispaniola. Vice President Andrea Thomen works as Projects Manager for Grupo Jaragua, and the organization is part of BirdsCaribbean's 100+ partner network, making them a directly comparable regional conservation peer.
• Manomet Conservation Sciences: Manomet is a conservation science non-profit focused on shorebird and waterbird research, including banding and monitoring programs. BirdsCaribbean directly partners with Manomet (hosting joint Shorebird and Waterbird Identification workshops with Puerto Rico DNER), making them a closely comparable regional conservation peer.
• Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC): EPIC is a Caribbean-focused non-profit engaged in seabird and biodiversity conservation, including the Protecting Seabirds in the Transboundary Grenadines project. BirdsCaribbean's JCO Map Editor (Alison Ollivierre) is also an EPIC Associate, making them a directly comparable regional conservation peer.
• American Bird Conservancy: American Bird Conservancy is a U.S.-based non-profit dedicated to bird conservation, including Caribbean species like the Kirtland's Warbler. BirdsCaribbean's Project Manager also works at ABC, and they share a Director-at-Large (David Ewart), making them directly comparable regional/global bird conservation peers.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation non-profit operating across the Caribbean with landscape-scale habitat protection. Director-at-Large David Ewart previously worked at TNC, and the organizations share a birds-and-habitat conservation mandate in the broader Caribbean region.
• Fauna and Flora International: Fauna and Flora International is a global conservation non-profit with Caribbean projects. Director-at-Large Howard Nelson currently lectures in Conservation Leadership at FFI, and the organizations share a Caribbean species and habitat conservation mandate.
• National Audubon Society: National Audubon Society is the largest U.S. bird conservation non-profit with national and hemisphere-wide reach, including Important Bird Areas, Christmas Bird Count, and migratory bird programs that overlap with BirdsCaribbean's work. Director-at-Large Greg Butcher previously worked with National Audubon.
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Cornell Lab of Ornithology operates global bird science programs including eBird and BirdSleuth curriculum, which BirdsCaribbean integrates into Caribbean operations. Cornell is a larger and broader institutional peer in bird science and citizen science.

Emerging players

• Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE): VCE is a smaller regional bird conservation non-profit focused on northeastern U.S. and migratory species. Director-at-Large Chris Rimmer co-founded VCE, and both organizations operate peer-reviewed journals and citizen science monitoring programs, making VCE a comparable regional bird conservation peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCz8Q0xXJSXJ8wEGqMXqO5_w
• Facebookfacebook.com/BirdsCaribbean
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/birdscaribbean
• Instagraminstagram.com/birdscaribbean
• Xx.com/BirdsCaribbean

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 BirdsCaribbean