Overview
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organisations dedicated to bird and habitat conservation. It traces its roots to 20 June 1922, when founding members met in London to establish what was then the International Council for Bird Preservation. Its overarching purpose is to unite and strengthen conservation across borders so that birds and wider biodiversity can thrive worldwide.
Mission and focus areas
BirdLife International’s mission is to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainable use of natural resources. The organisation focuses on preventing extinctions, improving conservation status of bird species, safeguarding important habitats, and maintaining critical ecological systems supporting human livelihoods.
Its work spans four strategic pillars: conserving species, protecting sites and habitats, promoting ecological sustainability, and enabling positive change through people. Through this holistic approach, BirdLife also contributes indirectly to sustainability-driven value creation and environmental resilience — foundations relevant to broader ESG and biodiversity risk frameworks.
Structure and governance
BirdLife International operates as a network of national partner organisations. Its global secretariat is based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, supported by six regional coordination offices worldwide. Each national partner retains its identity while collaborating under the BirdLife umbrella, enabling coordinated conservation efforts across countries. Leadership is provided by a Global Council, along with an Executive Team that includes roles such as Chief Scientist, Director of Global Communications, and regional directors for each major world region.
Programs and offerings
BirdLife International delivers a variety of conservation programmes, including its Preventing Extinctions Programme (focusing on endangered species), Global Flyways Programme (protecting migratory bird routes), a Marine Programme (for seabirds and marine habitats), and habitat conservation via the identification and protection of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs). BirdLife compiles and maintains the authoritative global avian data used in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List for birds, guiding global conservation priorities. It also produces research, reports, and conservation-planning tools that support habitat protection, policy advocacy, and community engagement — making it a valuable resource for sustainability practitioners, policymakers, and environmental investors concerned with biodiversity and natural-capital risks.
