Bulgarian Society For The Protection Of Birds

What Bulgarian Society For The Protection Of Birds does

Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB / БДЗП) is a Sofia-headquartered non-governmental, non-profit conservation organization founded in 1988 and registered for public benefit in Bulgaria. As the official BirdLife International partner for Bulgaria, BSPB operates a portfolio of species recovery programs (Dalmatian Pelican, Cinereous Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Imperial Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle), habitat protection work within the Natura 2000 network, and policy advocacy targeting the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water, Regional Inspectorates, and EU institutions.

The organization's core technology stack is built around the SmartBirds citizen science platform (smartbirds.org) and the Atlas of Birds in Bulgaria (atlas.bspb.org), which aggregate volunteer-submitted bird observations and species distribution data. Complementary infrastructure includes satellite/GPS-GSM transmitters for tracking released vultures and pelicans, live nest camera monitoring systems (notably for griffon vultures in the Eastern Rhodopes), a digital bird species identifier, and the vrabcheta.bg online merchandise store. Seven physical sites — including two purpose-built Nature Conservation Centres at Poda (Burgas) and Eastern Rhodopes (Madzharovo) — combine visitor/tourism operations with field conservation activities.

BSPB's business model is a hybrid non-profit structure with four revenue streams: annual membership subscriptions (BGN 14–30 across individual, family, and student/pensioner tiers), one-time and recurring donations from individuals and organizations (tax-deductible), project-based grants from the EU LIFE Programme, Rewilding Europe, and other international conservation funders, and branded merchandise sales. Customer segments span individual birdwatchers and citizen scientists, paid members and donors, Bulgarian government agencies, local communities in conservation landscapes (Eastern Rhodopes, Sakar, Strandzha), and international conservation partners including BirdLife International, WWF, and Rewilding Europe. The organization is governed by a Managing Board with a professional conservation team led by Director of Conservation Stoycho Stoychev.

Name

Bulgarian Society For The Protection Of Birds

Legal name

Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds

Website

https://bspb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

BSPB (Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds) is a Sofia-based non-profit founded in 1988 that conducts bird conservation, species recovery, habitat protection, and citizen science across Bulgaria as BirdLife International's national partner, funded through EU project grants, membership fees, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAGAB

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYBPAIAMAH

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration

SECONDARYBPADALAE

Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Climate, Environment & Sustainable Development Programs

Keywords

• Bird conservation services
• Wildlife habitat protection
• Citizen science platforms
• Endangered species recovery
• Environmental policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Sofia

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees ranging from BGN 14 to BGN 30 depending on category (individual adult, family, or pensioner/student), providing discounts at nature centers and access to conservation activities.
2. Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals and organizations supporting bird conservation activities in Bulgaria. Tax-deductible donations accepted via bank transfer or online CRM system.
3. EU and International Project Funding: Major funding from EU LIFE Programme, Rewilding Europe, and other international conservation funds for specific species recovery and habitat protection projects.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including bird stickers, badges, field guides, birdhouses, and other nature-themed products through the vrabcheta.bg online shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BSPB conducts bird conservation, habitat management, scientific research, environmental policy advocacy, and public education across Bulgaria. The organization delivers species recovery programs for endangered birds (Dalmatian Pelican, Cinereous Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Imperial Eagle), operates citizen science platforms (SmartBirds, Atlas of Birds in Bulgaria), runs public awareness campaigns, and manages two physical Nature Conservation Centres (Poda and Eastern Rhodopes).

Product overview

Bulgarian Society For The Protection Of Birds (BSPB/БДЗП) operates a multi-platform conservation portfolio combining digital citizen science tools with physical nature conservation centres and public engagement campaigns. The core digital offering includes the SmartBirds platform for bird monitoring and species tracking, the Atlas of Birds in Bulgaria for species distribution data, and the vrabcheta.bg online store for conservation merchandise. Complementary tools include a bird species identifier and live camera feeds. BSPB also manages two nature conservation centres (Eastern Rhodopes and Poda) that serve as regional hubs for conservation work and nature tourism. Public engagement is driven through named campaigns such as 'A Seed of Love' (winter bird feeding), 'Let's Count the Sparrows' (citizen science census), and 'Day of the Eagles' (raptor conservation awareness). BSPB is the Bulgarian national partner of BirdLife International.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SmartBirds: Citizen science platform for bird monitoring and data collection.
• SmartBirds Pro
• vrabcheta.bg
• ПЗЦ Пода (Poda Nature Conservation Centre)
• ПЗЦ Източни Родопи (Eastern Rhodopes Nature Conservation Centre)

Products and services

• SmartBirds Platform Online citizen science platform enabling volunteers to submit bird observations, participate in species tracking (including satellite tracking of released vultures and pelicans), and access bird monitoring data across Bulgaria. Targeted at amateur birdwatchers, volunteers, and professional ornithologists.
• Atlas of Birds in Bulgaria Comprehensive digital atlas documenting bird species distribution across Bulgaria, enabling ornithologists and the public to contribute and access bird population data. Used by researchers, conservation professionals, and citizen scientists.
• vrabcheta.bg Online Store E-commerce store selling BSPB-branded merchandise including bird-themed stickers, badges, field guides, and bird houses. Proceeds support bird conservation activities. Open to the general public across Bulgaria.
• Bird Species Identifier (Определител) Field identification tool and reference guide helping users identify bird species in Bulgaria. Targeted at birdwatchers, students, and members of the public.
• Nature Conservation Centre Eastern Rhodopes

Quantifiable outcome

• Dalmatian Pelican breeding pairs increased to 171 (record high) with two new colonies established
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BirdLife InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSPB is the official BirdLife International partner in Bulgaria, part of the world's largest nature conservation network with over 13 million members and supporters in 121 countries. This partnership provides BSPB with international credibility, cross-border conservation coordination, and access to global conservation best practices.
• Rewilding Rhodopes FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSPB works closely with Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation on the Cinereous Vulture reintroduction program in the Eastern Rhodopes. The partnership involves species recovery, habitat restoration, and community engagement in the Rhodope Mountains region.
• GREFA (Grupo de Rehabilitacion de la Fauna Autoctona)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish organization providing Cinereous Vultures for BSPB's reintroduction program in Bulgaria. GREFA has been working for years on rescue and rehabilitation of injured wild birds, supplying individuals for the Eastern Rhodopes reintroduction program.
• Green BalkansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBulgarian conservation organization partnering with BSPB on vulture monitoring and marking activities, including participation in GPS/GSM transmitter installation on Cinereous Vultures.
• Executive Forest Agency (Bulgaria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner in the LIFE For Eagle's Habitats project for Lesser Spotted Eagle conservation, working on securing protection and sustainable management of the species' nesting and foraging habitats.
• Southeastern State Company - Sliven (DPE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState forestry enterprise partner in the LIFE For Eagle's Habitats project, collaborating on habitat management for eagle conservation in northeastern Bulgaria.
• Northeastern State Company - ShumenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState forestry enterprise partner in the LIFE For Eagle's Habitats project, contributing to eagle habitat conservation in northeastern Bulgaria.
• WWF GreeceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the five-year LIFE project 'Conservation of Black and Griffon Vultures in the Rhodopes' (LIFE14 NAT/NL/000901), working on restoring and expanding vulture populations in the Balkans.
• Foundation for Vulture ConservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the LIFE project for vulture conservation in the Rhodopes, contributing to the recovery of Black and Griffon Vulture populations in the Balkan region.
• Hellenic Ornithological SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreek ornithological organization partner in the LIFE vulture conservation project, facilitating cross-border conservation efforts for vulture species.
• Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at BAS (IBER-BAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading scientific partner in European souslik conservation translocation studies, contributing expert research on rodent behavior, radiotelemetry, parasitological research, and stress level analysis for the 'Land for LIFE' project.
• DANUBEPARKS AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of Danube country organizations working together to conserve, restore, and promote sustainable management of wetlands, floodplain forests, and river islands along the Danube.
• WWF BulgariaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBulgarian conservation partner in Danube wetlands protection, collaborated on National Nature Restoration Plan conference and sturgeon conservation efforts.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Green Balkans: Bulgarian conservation NGO partnering with BSPB on vulture monitoring and GPS transmitter installation. Operates an adjacent conservation model in Bulgaria covering wildlife rescue, raptor recovery, and habitat protection - sharing geography and species focus with BSPB.
• SEO/BirdLife: Spain's BirdLife partner, the leading Iberian bird conservation NGO. SEO/BirdLife combines citizen science (similar to SmartBirds), nature reserves, advocacy, and EU project delivery - comparable organizational structure to BSPB with similar Mediterranean conservation focus.
• NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland): Germany's largest nature conservation association and BirdLife partner. NABU mirrors BSPB's structure with national advocacy, regional chapters, citizen science, nature centers, and EU project delivery - representing the German peer with comparable breadth of activities.
• Czech Society for Ornithology (CSO/BirdLife Czechia): Czech Republic's BirdLife partner, operating as a comparable Central European bird conservation NGO. CSO runs citizen science, species monitoring, and habitat protection programs with similar organizational scale and EU funding dependency as BSPB.
• Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (PTOP): Poland's BirdLife partner, focused on bird conservation, EU Natura 2000 advocacy, and LIFE project implementation. PTOP shares BSPB's mix of policy advocacy, species recovery, and citizen science engagement within a comparable national-scale NGO structure.
• RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds): The UK's largest bird conservation charity and the founding BirdLife partner. RSPB operates an identical model combining citizen science, species recovery, habitat management, advocacy, and member-based funding - making it the most directly comparable organization to BSPB, just at significantly larger UK scale.
• LPO (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux): France's leading bird protection organization and BirdLife partner. LPO operates with the same combination of species recovery, citizen science, legal advocacy, and nature center operations, with comparable revenue scale to BSPB.
• Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS): Greece's BirdLife partner and active collaborator with BSPB on transboundary vulture conservation. HOS operates an essentially identical model of bird monitoring, LIFE project implementation, and advocacy - and is the closest geographic peer working on shared Balkan vulture/pelican populations.

Emerging players

• Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation: Bulgarian foundation co-implementing the Cinereous Vulture reintroduction program with BSPB in the Eastern Rhodopes. While smaller and more focused, Rewilding Rhodopes shares BSPB's conservation model and competes for overlapping EU and donor funding streams.

Broad incumbents

• BirdLife International: The global umbrella federation of which BSPB is the Bulgarian partner. While not a direct operating peer, BirdLife International coordinates the 121-country network and provides funding, methodology, and brand credibility that shapes BSPB's operations and revenue opportunities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqdroOqsDx_lA2_Myqi-xrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/BSPBirds
• Instagraminstagram.com/birds.bg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bulgarian-society-for-the-protection-of-birds

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bulgarian Society For The Protection Of Birds