Puget Sound Bird Observatory

What Puget Sound Bird Observatory does

Puget Sound Bird Observatory (PSBO) is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2008 to conduct avian research, population monitoring, and bander training in the Pacific Northwest. The organization operates three flagship community science programs: the Puget Sound Seabird Survey (PSSS), which runs synchronized monthly counts at 190+ shoreline sites across the southern Salish Sea during winter; the Wetland Secretive Bird Monitoring project, which surveys 220+ wetlands across 11 Washington counties for elusive marsh species; and MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) banding stations operated in partnership with the Institute for Bird Populations' 500+ station continent-wide network. PSBO also runs site-specific restoration monitoring (zis a ba estuary, Willowmoor floodplain), the Stillaguamish Forest Baseline Monitoring project, a Small Owl Box Restoration program, and a Microaging research study on feather wear.

Field methodology is built on traditional ornithological techniques—mist netting, bird banding under federal license, distance sampling, broadcast surveys, and automated radio telemetry via the Motus Wildlife Tracking System—augmented by PSBO-developed proprietary protocols such as the Wetland Secretive Bird Monitoring Protocol and a photographic micro-aging process. Leadership includes federally licensed Master Banders, a Director of Research holding British Trust for Ornithology credentials, and a co-founder of the Klamath Bird Observatory.

PSBO's revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit funding stack: annual membership dues at four tiers ($15–$100), tuition from a $730 five-day Level 1 bird banding course, tax-deductible donations, and competitive grants from Washington Sea Grant, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (ALEA program), Tulalip Cares, the Stillaguamish Tribe, and other conservation funders. The organization serves three primary customer segments: volunteer community scientists who collect data, land managers and conservation organizations (tribes, Audubon societies, land trusts, government agencies) who consume monitoring outputs, and aspiring banders who purchase training. Operations are delivered through in-person field sessions across Washington State and a small digital footprint (organizational website, Facebook, Eventbrite registration, a separate PSSS data entry portal).

Name

Puget Sound Bird Observatory

Legal name

Puget Sound Bird Observatory

Website

https://pugetsoundbirds.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Puget Sound Bird Observatory is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conducts bird population research, monitoring, and bander training in the Pacific Northwest through community science programs spanning 190+ seabird survey sites and 220+ wetlands across 11 Washington counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Research

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Surveys & Movement/Connectivity Studies (e.g., Avian/Bat, Telemetry) (EUAHAHAH)

Keywords

• Avian monitoring programs
• Bird banding research
• Community science projects
• Wildlife conservation services
• Ornithological research

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership dues at multiple tiers (Individual $25, Household $50, Patron $100, Reduced $15) that fund volunteer trainings, educational opportunities, research equipment, and project data collection.
2. Banding Course Fees: Level 1 beginner banding course offered annually for $730, including course materials and Peter Pyle's guidebook. Five days of instruction and fieldwork coaching.
3. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations, including project-specific donations. Receives grants from funders including Washington Sea Grant, ALEA grants, and tribal contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PSBO operates community-science avian monitoring programs across the Pacific Northwest, training volunteers in bird banding, distance sampling, and survey protocols to collect long-term data on seabird, marsh bird, and forest bird populations. It complements these research programs with paid bird-banding training courses, tiered memberships, and contracted monitoring services for tribal, government, and conservation partners.

Product overview

Puget Sound Bird Observatory operates as a research organization offering a portfolio of interconnected avian monitoring programs and training services. The core offerings include the Puget Sound Seabird Survey (PSSS) for wintering seabird monitoring, MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) for breeding bird demographic studies, and Wetland Secretive Bird Monitoring for marsh bird populations. Supporting programs include Willowmoor Avian Monitoring, Zis-a-ba Heron Rookery, Stillaguamish Forest Baseline Monitoring, Small Owl Box Restoration, and Avian Response to Restoration studies. The Microaging Project conducts research on bird aging techniques. Education and training are provided through the Bird Bander Development program offering Level 1 and Level 2 banding courses. Data management is supported through a dedicated PSSS Data Entry System. The organization also provides public education resources including baby bird advice and Nature News articles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Puget Sound Seabird Survey (PSSS) A community science program that trains and supports volunteer birdwatchers in collecting data on wintering seabird populations throughout the southern Salish Sea, conducting synchronized monthly surveys from October through April at more than 190 beaches and shoreline sites.
• MAPS Monitoring (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) A continent-wide collaborative bird banding program run in cooperation with the Institute for Bird Populations that collects data to estimate demographic parameters such as productivity, recruitment, and survival of individual bird species.
• Wetland Secretive Bird Monitoring A community science effort that uses volunteers to collect data on regional populations and trends of marsh birds across the Puget Sound trough, assessing abundance and population trends of elusive wetland species.
• Willowmoor Avian Monitoring Design Avian monitoring plan design and implementation support for Eastside Audubon at the Willowmoor Floodplain Restoration Project in Marymoor Park, using variable circle plot surveys.
• Zis-a-ba Heron Rookery Avian monitoring and artificial nest platform installation project for Great Blue Heron nesting sites in collaboration with the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians.
• Stillaguamish Forest Baseline Monitoring Pre-treatment surveys of breeding forest birds across Mount Baker National Forest to inform vegetation management practices and their impact on birds and wildlife, conducted in partnership with Klamath Bird Observatory and the Stillaguamish and Sauk-Suiattle Tribes.
• Small Owl Box Restoration Conservation project installing nest boxes specifically sized for Western Screech-owls and Northern Saw-whet owls to provide safe alternatives to natural cavities.
• Avian Response to WFP Restoration Avian monitoring at the zis a ba estuary restoration site for the Stillaguamish Tribe to establish baseline understanding and assess shorebirds, waterfowl, secretive marsh birds, and landbirds response to estuarine restoration.
• Microaging Project A continuing study of molt, feather wear, and aging in four year-round resident species in the Puget Trough Ecoregion, using a photographic process to measure color variation in feathers and improve local species aging accuracy.
• Bird Bander Development A tiered training program offering Level 1 beginner and Level 2 advanced banding courses, plus ongoing coaching opportunities to develop new researchers and bird banders in the Pacific Northwest.
• Level 1 Bird Banding Course A five-day beginner course teaching basics of bird banding including setting nets, extracting birds, banding and processing, and data management, offered annually in autumn for a $730 fee that includes all course materials and the second edition of Peter Pyle's identification guide.

Quantifiable outcome

• 230 captures of 27 species in 2022 at Morse MAPS station
• +2 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Birds Connect Seattle (formerly Seattle Audubon)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Seattle Audubon created the Puget Sound Seabird Survey (PSSS) in 2007 and the program was transitioned to PSBO coordination in 2022. Toby Ross, former project administrator for PSSS at Seattle Audubon, moved to PSBO to continue managing the program.
• Institute for Bird Populations (IBP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSBO participates in the MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) program, a continent-wide collaborative effort of 500+ banding stations overseen by IBP.
• Stillaguamish Tribe of IndianscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSBO provides avian monitoring at zis a ba estuary restoration site for the tribe's habitat restoration efforts. The tribe supports the work and provides land access for monitoring.
• Eastside AuduboncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSBO provides design and implementation support for avian monitoring at the Willowmoor Floodplain Restoration Project for Eastside Audubon at Marymoor Park.
• Klamath Bird ObservatorymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Stillaguamish Forest Baseline Monitoring project, with KBO providing science leadership and technical advisory support alongside Stillaguamish and Sauk-Suiattle Tribes.
• The Nature ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSBO volunteers conduct avian presence surveys at Port Susan Bay preserve owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, contributing to standardized shorebird/waterfowl monitoring.
• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWDFW Wildlife Biologists Courtney Conway and Ruth Milner provide oversight and expertise for the Wetland Secretive Bird Monitoring project.
• Tahoma AudubonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSBO operates MAPS station at Morse Wildlife Preserve owned by Tahoma Audubon. Partnership includes joint banding training opportunities and microaging project collaboration.
• Joint Base Lewis-McChordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Tahoma Audubon and Joint Base Lewis-McChord offers developing banders opportunities to practice field skills at the ongoing microaging project.
• Great Peninsula ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdrian Wolf, PSBO Board Member, serves as Stewardship Director at Great Peninsula Conservancy, overseeing 140+ land trust conservation properties.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Audubon Society: National bird conservation organization that PSBO partners with locally through multiple Audubon chapters (Eastside, Tahoma, Birds Connect Seattle). Sets broader policy context that drives demand for PSBO's localized monitoring data.
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology: The largest and most prominent ornithological research institution in North America. While far larger in scope, it shares PSBO's core mission of avian research, citizen-science training, and long-term bird population monitoring (e.g., eBird).

Direct peers

• Bird Conservancy of the Rockies: Regional bird observatory operating long-term avian monitoring, banding stations, and habitat programs across the Rocky Mountain region. Comparable in scale, mission, and reliance on MAPS-style banding protocols.
• Point Blue (formerly Point Reyes Bird Observatory): Long-running California-based bird observatory with a similar model of long-term avian monitoring, citizen-science engagement, and partnership-driven conservation research. One of the original U.S. bird observatories.
• Vermont Center for Ecostudies: Regional nonprofit conducting bird banding, MAPS stations, and forest bird monitoring in the northeastern U.S. Comparable staffing scale, mission, and citizen-science training program structure.
• Klamath Bird Observatory: A Pacific Northwest-based bird observatory that collaborates directly with PSBO on the Stillaguamish Forest Baseline Monitoring project. Operates similar MAPS stations, long-term monitoring, and avian research with comparable scope and staffing scale.
• Institute for Bird Populations: Oversees the MAPS program of 500+ banding stations that PSBO participates in. IBP develops and coordinates the monitoring protocols PSBO's field work implements, making it a direct scientific peer and infrastructure partner.

Regional players

• Birds Connect Seattle (formerly Seattle Audubon): The originating organization of the Puget Sound Seabird Survey, which was transferred to PSBO in 2022. Operates overlapping Pacific Northwest conservation, advocacy, and community-science programs from which PSBO inherited PSSS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PugetSoundBirdObservatory
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/puget-sound-bird-observatory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Puget Sound Bird Observatory