BirdWatch
Project developing a Copernicus-based decision support service for improving the suitability of farmland habitats for bird species
Sustainable development goals
Type
Project
Timeframe
2023-2026
Organization
Luftbild Umwelt Planung GmbH (Germany) - coordinator
Consortium of partners
Description
BirdWatch is a Horizon Europe research and innovation project that developed a Copernicus-based decision support service for assessing and improving the suitability of farmland habitats for bird species. The platform combines Earth observation data, species distribution models, machine learning, and geospatial analysis to evaluate how agricultural landscapes support farmland biodiversity and to optimize Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) greening measures. The service is intended to support policymakers, paying agencies, conservation authorities, and farmers in designing and monitoring biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices while balancing ecological and economic objectives.
Animal production and health
Technology
BirdWatch combines Copernicus Sentinel Earth observation data, geospatial analysis, machine learning, species distribution modelling, and parcel-level GIS data to generate habitat suitability maps for farmland birds. The platform integrates agricultural parcel information with biodiversity models and optimization algorithms to recommend the most effective CAP greening measures while considering ecological benefits, operational constraints, and implementation costs. It is delivered as a web-based decision support service.
Desktop/web-based applicationRemote sensingGPSGIS
Target
The intended users include National and regional paying agencies; Ministries of Agriculture and environmental authorities; CAP policymakers; conservation agencies; researchers; farmers participating in agri-environmental schemes.
Academia and research institutionsCivil society organizationsAgriculture cooperativesPublic sectorPrivate sector
Business model
BirdWatch was funded under the Horizon Europe programme (Digital, Industry and Space – Copernicus applications), with a total project budget of EUR 2.58 million, including an EU contribution of EUR 2.25 million. As a research and innovation project, it was funded for the project period rather than maintained as a permanent public information system.
Donor support
Implementation stage
Discontinued
Impact
As a research project, BirdWatch demonstrated the technical feasibility of integrating Earth observation, biodiversity modelling, and CAP monitoring into a single decision support service. The project produced a prototype web platform and methodologies for habitat suitability assessment and optimization of greening measures. However, there is no published evidence yet of large-scale operational deployment or quantified impacts on biodiversity or CAP administration following the project's completion.
Better environment
Source
The initiative was developed with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and reviewed by an FAO researcher
Last updated
July 2026
From:
Germany
Applied in:
GermanyLithuaniaBelgiumItalySlovenia