Birdlife Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera

What Birdlife Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera does

BirdLife Switzerland is the Swiss national partner of BirdLife International, a non-profit association (Verein) under Swiss law that coordinates bird and biodiversity conservation across Switzerland. Founded in 1921-1925 and headquartered in Zürich, the organization serves a federated membership of over 72,000 individuals organized through 19 cantonal associations, 2 national member organizations (Ala and Ficedula), and 430 local sections. Its mission centers on species conservation, habitat protection, environmental education, and policy advocacy, with approximately 30 active species conservation projects targeting endangered birds such as the stone owl, kingfisher, corncrake, and Eurasian stone-curlew.

The organization's core offerings span physical and digital infrastructure. Four nature visitor centers (Neeracherried, La Sauge, Klingnauer Stausee, Pfäffikersee) provide nature trails, exhibitions, guided tours, and educational programs, complemented by regional offices in Magadino and Cudrefin for Italian- and French-speaking Switzerland. Digital products include bird-song.ch (an interactive learning platform covering 200+ native bird species), the gartenvoegel.birdlife.ch citizen science reporting platform, live webcams from conservation areas, and the newly launched Zugvogel-Simulator (migratory bird simulator). Publications include Ornis magazine (6 issues/year), Ornis Junior for children aged 7+, Info BirdLife Suisse in French, and field guides on Swiss orchids (3rd edition) and garden birds. Citizen science programs such as EuroBirdwatch, Bird Race, Garden Bird Hour, and Winter Bird Count collectively engage tens of thousands of participants annually, generating biodiversity monitoring data.

Revenue is derived from a hybrid non-profit model: annual membership and benefactor fees (approximately 72,000+ members), ZEWO-certified donations and legacies, fees from ornithological courses and field excursions (reaching ~60,000 participants annually), corporate volunteering programs (e.g., with Holcim Schweiz), e-commerce shop sales of publications and merchandise, and project grants. The organization also holds partnership roles with the Swiss Ornithological Institute (Vogelwarte Sempach), BAFU (Federal Office for the Environment), and the Environmental Alliance (Umweltallianz) coalition. Volunteers contribute approximately 250,000 hours annually, multiplied by the network's grassroots reach.

Name

Birdlife Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera

Legal name

BirdLife Schweiz

Website

https://birdlife.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1922

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BirdLife Switzerland is a Zürich-based non-profit conservation association coordinating Swiss bird and biodiversity protection through 72,000+ members, 430 local sections, 4 nature centers, 30 species projects, and digital citizen science platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wildlife Viewing & Birdwatching Tours (THAAAEAB)

Keywords

• Bird conservation
• Nature education
• Citizen science
• Habitat protection
• Wildlife monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership and Benefactor Fees: Annual membership subscriptions and benefactor contributions providing access to member benefits, magazines (Ornis, Ornis Junior), and discounts
2. Donations and Legacies: Project-based and general donations, bequests, and legacy gifts, largely financing species conservation projects and habitat protection
3. Shop Sales: Sale of magazines (Ornis, Ornis Junior, Info BirdLife Suisse), publications, gift certificates, and branded merchandise
4. Course and Training Fees: Fees from ornithological courses, field excursions, and environmental education programs attended by approximately 60,000 people annually
5. Corporate Volunteering: Companies pay overhead contributions for team nature conservation activities at species protection projects and nature centers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Birdlife Schweiz is a Swiss non-profit conservation federation that coordinates bird and habitat protection through 4 nature visitor centers, citizen-science platforms, environmental education programmes, member magazine publications, and species-protection campaigns such as Bird of the Year. Its core outputs are membership services, conservation publications, education courses, volunteer-coordinated monitoring events (EuroBirdwatch, Bird Race), and merchandise sold via its BirdLife Shop.

Product overview

BirdLife Switzerland operates as a conservation organization with a multi-faceted offering centered around nature protection, education, and community engagement. The core portfolio includes four nature visitor centers (Neeracherried, La Sauge, Klingnauer Stausee, Pfäffikersee), three magazine publications (Ornis in German, Ornis Junior for children, and Info BirdLife Suisse in French), and approximately 30 species conservation projects. Key public engagement programs include EuroBirdwatch (annual international migration observation), the Bird Race (24-hour competitive birdwatching), and the public voting campaign for Bird of the Year. The digital offerings encompass bird-song.ch for learning bird calls (200+ species), an interactive garden bird reporting platform (gartenvoegel.birdlife.ch), live webcams, and a recent migratory bird simulator. Educational products include field guides on Swiss orchids (3rd edition) and garden birds, plus environmental courses reaching approximately 60,000 participants annually. The organization also maintains a membership/benefactor program and an online shop selling publications and merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• bird-song.ch: Online learning platform for bird song identification, covering over 200 Swiss bird species.

Products and services

• BirdLife Nature Visitor Centers

Quantifiable outcome

• ~250,000 volunteer hours contributed annually to nature conservation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BirdLife InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBirdLife Switzerland is the national partner of BirdLife International, the global authority on bird conservation with partners in over 120 countries. This affiliation provides international reach, global conservation expertise, and coordination on migratory bird protection across borders.
• Holcim SchweizminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partnership for nature enhancement at industrial sites, setting new standards for biodiversity promotion in commercial operations. Collaboration at Zeiningen site demonstrates corporate-nature conservation cooperation.
• USPB/BirdLife UkrainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing financial and operational support for Ukrainian BirdLife partner (USPB) during wartime, helping maintain nature conservation work and support for people affected by conflict in Ukraine.
• Swiss Ornithological Institute (Vogelwarte Sempach)coreTechnology or IntegrationKey research partner providing ornithological data, species monitoring expertise, and scientific collaboration for bird conservation projects and citizen science initiatives.
• Environmental Alliance (Umweltallianz)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of major Swiss environmental organizations (BirdLife Schweiz, Greenpeace Schweiz, Pro Natura, Energie-Stiftung, VCS, WWF Schweiz) for coordinated policy advocacy on climate, biodiversity, and environmental legislation.
• Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU)coreOthersSwiss federal environmental authority collaborating on biodiversity monitoring, species protection programs, and policy implementation for nature conservation.
• Canton Agricultural and Nature OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with farmers and cantonal authorities on species protection projects, particularly for corncrake and lapwing conservation in agricultural landscapes.
• Ala (Swiss Ornithological Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of two national member organizations of BirdLife Switzerland, focusing on ornithological research and bird protection activities.
• Ficedula (Ticino Bird Protection)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of two national member organizations of BirdLife Switzerland, providing Italian-speaking services and bird conservation in Ticino region.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• American Bird Conservancy: US-based bird conservation NGO focused on habitat protection and species recovery across the Americas. Smaller than Audubon but with a more species-specific mandate similar to BirdLife Schweiz's 30 species projects.

Direct peers

• LPO (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux): LPO is the French BirdLife partner, focused on bird protection, nature centers, and volunteer-led conservation. It is the closest direct functional analog in France, with comparable education, advocacy, and reserve-management activities.
• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds): RSPB is the UK BirdLife partner and the largest bird conservation charity in Europe. It shares BirdLife Schweiz's membership-and-nature-center operating model, magazine publishing (Birds magazine), and large-scale citizen science events.
• Pro Natura: Switzerland's oldest and largest nature conservation NGO, operating six nature centers and running species protection programs. Directly comparable member-based conservation model in the same Swiss market and an Umweltallianz partner.
• NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland): NABU is the German BirdLife partner with an identical structure of members, local groups, and federal-state associations. It mirrors BirdLife Schweiz's community-led conservation model, citizen science programs, and policy advocacy role in Germany.
• Schweizerische Vogelwarte Sempach (Swiss Ornithological Institute): Switzerland's national ornithological research institute and a formal BirdLife partner. While more research-focused, it overlaps on bird monitoring, citizen science, and ornithological publications serving the same Swiss audience.

Broad incumbents

• National Audubon Society: US BirdLife-affiliated conservation organization with comparable membership structure, sanctuaries, and citizen science programs. Useful cross-Atlantic benchmark for member-based bird conservation at scale.
• Greenpeace Schweiz: Swiss affiliate of Greenpeace, focused on environmental advocacy and campaigns. Shares the same donor base and policy coalition (Umweltallianz) but competes for donations rather than operating nature centers or species recovery programs.
• WWF Schweiz: Swiss arm of the global WWF network, focused on broader biodiversity, climate, and species conservation. Overlaps with BirdLife on habitat protection, policy advocacy, and corporate partnerships but operates at much larger scale and brand scope.

Regional players

• Wetlands International: Global NGO focused on wetland conservation, where many of BirdLife Schweiz's species projects (e.g., reedbed and lake species) intersect. Operates internationally rather than nationally, making it more of a thematic partner than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/birdlifeschweiz.bsky.social
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SchweizerVogelschutz
• Facebookfacebook.com/BirdLife.Schweiz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/birdlife-schweiz-suisse-svizzera
• Instagraminstagram.com/birdlife.ch

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Birdlife Schweiz / Suisse / Svizzera