Brinzal
Brinzal is a Madrid-based nonprofit founded in 1986 that operates Spain's specialized nocturnal raptor rehabilitation center, providing wildlife recovery, captive breeding, ecological restoration, and environmental education services to individuals, government funders, and universities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersMadrid (Casa de Campo), Spain
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Brinzal does
Brinzal (Asociación Brinzal) is a Spanish nonprofit association, declared of Public Utility, founded in 1986 and headquartered at Casa de Campo in Madrid. The organization operates the only specialized nocturnal raptor recovery center in central Spain, providing medical treatment, rehabilitation, and release services for injured, sick, and orphaned wild birds. In 2024, the center attended to 2,197 animals and released 329 (including 189 nocturnal raptors), while its captive breeding program released 50 barn owl chicks. The product portfolio combines core rehabilitation infrastructure (8 flight hangars and a 50-meter flight tunnel) with conservation programs including captive breeding of barn owl and little owl, hacking release techniques, ecological restoration of the La Chanta protected site (a former Holcim quarry), and environmental education reaching over 2,900 people annually.
The underlying technology stack is functional and conservation-specific rather than digital-native: it includes continuous video surveillance for flight assessment, 3-gram solar-powered GPS/GSM tracking emitters for post-release monitoring, artificial incubation with controlled humidity and egg-weight-loss monitoring, GPS-based virtual fencing for regenerative grazing, and a fixation/survival system for passerines using anti-predator training. These are proprietary methodologies refined over four decades, supported by collaborations with CNIO, CBM Severo Ochoa, and four major Madrid universities.
The business model is a hybrid nonprofit funding structure with at least seven revenue streams: annual membership fees from approximately 251 socios, symbolic bird adoptions at €80–€100 per animal, one-time and recurring donations (tax-deductible up to 80% under Spanish law), online merchandise sales, technical courses at €100 per participant, crowdfunding campaigns (Gofundme, Verkami), and project-based grants from government bodies (MITECO, Comunidad de Madrid) and private foundations (Fundación Montemadrid/CaixaBank, Fundación Ibercaja). Customer segments include individual supporters and members, padrinos/madrinas (sponsors), government and institutional funders, schools and universities, and farmers participating in agricultural sustainability projects. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website, social channels, on-site visits, and institutional project delivery.
Brinzal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brinzal
- Legal name
- Asociación Brinzal
- Website
- https://brinzal.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Brinzal is a Madrid-based nonprofit founded in 1986 that operates Spain's specialized nocturnal raptor rehabilitation center, providing wildlife recovery, captive breeding, ecological restoration, and environmental education services to individuals, government funders, and universities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brinzal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wildlife Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)
Keywords
Where Brinzal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madrid (Casa de Campo)
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Brinzal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership fees (Cuotas de socio/a): Recurring annual or periodic membership fees charged to individuals who become socios/socias of the association. Currently approximately 251 members, providing a recurring revenue base.
- Symbolic adoptions/sponsorships (Apadrinar): One-time or annual payments for symbolic adoptions of birds. Two modalities: (1) Adopción de rapaz recuperable — 80€ covers rehabilitation costs, with 12.5% discount for members; (2) Adopción de pareja irrecuperable — 100€ for non-releasable bird pairs used in breeding programs, with 20% member discount. In 2024, more than 80 padrinos/madrinas participated; in 2025, 56 padrinos/madrinas had already enrolled by mid-year, with 93 total the prior year.
- Donations (Donaciones): One-time monetary donations from individuals and organizations, both general and project-specific. Tax-deductible under Spanish law (up to 80% deductibility). Also includes in-kind donations of materials.
- Product sales (Tienda): Sale of environmental-themed products through Brinzal's online store. Revenue supports wildlife rehabilitation, conservation projects, and ecosystem restoration (e.g., La Chanta).
- Crowdfunding campaigns: Occasional crowdfunding campaigns (e.g., Gofundme campaign for X-ray room and new surgical theater). Also conducted via Verkami for specific equipment needs.
- Educational courses and workshops: Revenue from technical courses (e.g., Course on age and sex identification in Iberian raptors at 100€/person, 80€ for members) and seminars held at La Chanta Nature Center. Course fee includes sessions, materials, meals, and certificate.
- Government grants and institutional funding: Project-based grants and institutional funding from government bodies (Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico, Comunidad de Madrid, Fundación Montemadrid/CaixaBank, among others) supporting specific conservation, rehabilitation, and restoration projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Adopt a recoverable bird (rapaz recuperable) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Adopt a non-recoverable bird pair (pareja irrecuperable) |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual membership (Socio/Socia) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Course: Age and sex identification in Iberian raptors |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donations and merchandise |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Brinzal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Brinzal runs the Nocturnal Raptor Recovery Center in Madrid, providing free medical rehabilitation and release of injured, sick, and orphaned wild birds (primarily nocturnal raptors such as barn owl and little owl), handling over 2,000 animals per year. It complements rehabilitation with a captive breeding and hacking release program for population reinforcement, an applied research program (GPS/GSM tracking, video surveillance, fixation systems), ecological restoration at the La Chanta protected site, and environmental education through school visits, technical courses, and public outreach.
Product overview
Brinzal (Asociación Brinzal) is a non-profit wildlife rehabilitation and conservation organization declared of Public Utility since 1986. The core offering is the Centro de Recuperación de Rapaces Nocturnas, a specialized nocturnal raptor rehabilitation center handling over 2,000 animals annually. The product portfolio includes rehabilitation infrastructure (8 flight hangars, 50m flight tunnel), conservation breeding programs (captive breeding of barn owl and little owl), innovative release techniques (hacking, fixation systems), and environmental education services (La Chanta nature center, school visits, training courses). Funded projects include regenerative grazing at La Chanta, GPS/GSM solar tracking for wild raptors, and videovigilance-based rehabilitation assessment systems. The organization offers sponsorship programs for individuals (recoverable raptors for release, non-recoverable breeding pairs) and operates an online donation/shopping platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- La Chanta: A restored quarry turned protected natural space and nature education center, operated under custody agreement with Holcim. Features wetlands included in the Catalog of Wetlands of the Community of Madrid.
- Hacking de Lechuza Común
Products and services
- Centro de Recuperación de Rapaces Nocturnas
- Apadrinamiento de rapaz recuperable (Symbolic adoption of a recoverable raptor)
- Apadrinamiento de pareja irrecuperable (Symbolic adoption of a non-recoverable pair)
- Membership (Hazte socio o socia)
- Tienda Brinzal (Online store)
- Technical Course: Age and sex identification in Iberian raptors
- Programa de Educación Ambiental (Environmental Education Program)
- La Chanta Nature Center
- Donations (Donaciones)
Quantifiable outcome
- 2,197 animals treated and 329 released (189 nocturnal raptors) in 2024 alone
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Brinzal
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Brinzal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature8 records
Brinzal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- HolcimcoreHolcim (owner of the La Chanta former quarry) entered into a Territory Custody Agreement with Brinzal in May 2020. Brinzal manages ecological restoration, biodiversity monitoring, environmental education activities, and the Nature Center at La Chanta. Holcim also hosts Brinzal at the Cantera de Yepes Ciruelos for fauna monitoring and environmental education. This is a flagship, multi-year partnership central to Brinzal's habitat restoration mission.
- Societat Valenciana d'Ornitologia (SVO)minorCollaboration with SVO for equipping released barn owl specimens with satellite transmitters, enabling advanced tracking of released individuals to study survival rates and habitat use.
- ExovetminorVeterinary equipment donor providing a biochemical analyzer, X-ray machine, and other furniture/equipment for the center's diagnostic and treatment capabilities.
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)minorAcademic partnership with UCM, particularly the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, for knowledge sharing, student involvement, and research collaboration in wildlife rehabilitation.
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM)minorAcademic partnership for student involvement and research collaboration in conservation and biodiversity topics.
- Universidad de Alcalá de HenaresminorAcademic partnership for student involvement and research collaboration.
- Universidad EuropeaminorAcademic partnership for student involvement and research collaboration.
- GREFAminorCollaboration with GREFA (Grupo de Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat) as a fellow wildlife rehabilitation center for animal transfers and knowledge sharing.
- CRAS (Centro de Recuperación de Animales Silvestes, Comunidad de Madrid)minorOfficial wildlife rehabilitation center of the Community of Madrid. Animals found by citizens or officials are often delivered here and then transferred to Brinzal for nocturnal raptor-specific care.
- CNIO (Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas)minorResearch collaboration with CNIO for scientific expertise and methodology exchange.
- CBM Severo OchoaminorResearch collaboration with Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa for scientific expertise and methodology exchange.
- Zoo Aquarium de Madrid / Fundación Parques ReunidosminorCollaboration with Zoo Aquarium de Madrid and its foundation for conservation and awareness activities.
- Halcones UrbanosminorCollaboration with Halcones Urbanos, an organization working with urban birds of prey, for knowledge sharing and conservation coordination.
- Dirección General de Infancia, Familia y Fomento de la Natalidad (Comunidad de Madrid)coreGovernment body that cedes the physical space where the Centro de Recuperación de Aves Nocturnas operates. This institutional agreement is fundamental to Brinzal's physical infrastructure.
- Asociación PAUTAminorCollaboration with Asociación PAUTA to bring nature and environmental education to new social collectives, extending outreach beyond traditional audiences at La Chanta.
- Centro de Recuperación El Valle (Murcia)minorInter-center collaboration with El Valle Wildlife Recovery Center in Murcia for animal transfers and best practice exchange.
- Centro de Recuperación Martioda (Álava)minorInter-center collaboration with Martioda Recovery Center in Álava for animal transfers and best practice exchange.
- CREA (Centros de Recuperación de Especies Amenazadas, Andalucía)minorCollaboration with CREA centers in Jaén, Seville, and Huelva for knowledge sharing and inter-center coordination on threatened species recovery.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Brinzal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SEO/BirdLife: Spain's largest bird conservation NGO, operating nationwide with a broader species and policy remit than Brinzal's nocturnal-raptor focus. Overlaps with Brinzal on avian conservation, citizen science, and advocacy for declining raptor populations.
- Quercus (Asociación para la Conservación de la Naturaleza): Spanish national environmental NGO active in biodiversity protection, agriculture sustainability, and policy advocacy. Comparable in mission to Brinzal but with a broader species and habitat portfolio across Spain.
- WWF Spain: Spain arm of the global conservation organization, working on biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, and habitat restoration at scale. Comparable to Brinzal in mission area but operates with a much broader portfolio across many ecosystems and species.
Direct peers
- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: Long-standing U.S. raptor conservation organization combining rehabilitation, captive breeding, satellite tracking, and education. Highly comparable to Brinzal in its focus on raptor species, applied research techniques, and education programming.
- GREFA: Grupo de Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat, another major Spanish wildlife rehabilitation center. Grefa and Brinzal collaborate on animal transfers and knowledge sharing, making them the closest direct peer in the Iberian nocturnal raptor rehabilitation space.
- Wildlife Aid Foundation: UK wildlife rescue and rehabilitation charity handling injured and orphaned wild animals. Comparable in operating model—nonprofit, volunteer-supported, donation-funded wildlife hospital with an education component.
- The Raptor Trust: U.S. wildlife rehabilitation center specializing in raptors and birds, providing medical treatment, captive housing for non-releasable birds, and education. Directly comparable to Brinzal's nocturnal raptor rehabilitation and education mission.
Others
- Fundación Biodiversidad: Spanish public foundation under MITECO that channels biodiversity funding to projects like those Brinzal executes. Not a peer in operations, but a key funding ecosystem participant comparable in its role to Brinzal's institutional partners.
Emerging players
- Quercus Aegithalos: European volunteer-led initiative supporting captive breeding and release of endangered species including raptors. Comparable to Brinzal's hacking and captive breeding techniques applied at a smaller community scale.
Regional players
- Centre de Recuperació de Fauna de Vallcalent: Catalan regional wildlife recovery center operated under Generalitat de Catalunya. Brinzal collaborates with other regional centers; Vallcalent is the equivalent institutional actor in Catalonia, serving a comparable geographic function.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Brinzal social profiles
Digital presenceBrinzal compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Brinzal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brinzal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Brinzal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brinzal M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Brinzal
What does Brinzal do?
Brinzal runs the Nocturnal Raptor Recovery Center in Madrid, providing free medical rehabilitation and release of injured, sick, and orphaned wild birds (primarily nocturnal raptors such as barn owl and little owl), handling over 2,000 animals per year. It complements rehabilitation with a captive breeding and hacking release program for population reinforcement, an applied research program (GPS/GSM tracking, video surveillance, fixation systems), ecological restoration at the La Chanta protected site, and environmental education through school visits, technical courses, and public outreach.
Is Brinzal a public or private company?
Brinzal is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Brinzal founded?
Brinzal was founded in 1986. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Brinzal based?
Brinzal is headquartered in Madrid (Casa de Campo), Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Brinzal make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Membership fees (Cuotas de socio/a) is the primary driver. The others are symbolic adoptions/sponsorships (Apadrinar), donations (Donaciones), product sales (Tienda), crowdfunding campaigns, educational courses and workshops and government grants and institutional funding.
Who are Brinzal's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SEO/BirdLife, Quercus (Asociación para la Conservación de la Naturaleza) and WWF Spain. Direct peers are Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, GREFA, Wildlife Aid Foundation and The Raptor Trust. Fundación Biodiversidad is listed as an others. Quercus Aegithalos is listed as an emerging player. Centre de Recuperació de Fauna de Vallcalent is listed as a regional player.
Does Brinzal have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brinzal.
What industry is Brinzal in?
Brinzal's product category is Wildlife Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAIAC, Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release. Its NAICS code is 71213.