The Sempach Bird Observatory (Vogelwarte Sempach in German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

) is a bird observatory

Bird observatory

A bird observatory is a centre for the study of bird migration and bird populations. They are usually focused on local birds, but may also include interest in far flung areas. Most bird observatories are small operations with a limited staff, many volunteers and a not-for-profit educational status...

 and ornithological research centre, also known as the Swiss Ornithological Institute, which is based at the town of Sempach

Sempach

Sempach is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland.-History:It has retained some traces of its medieval appearance, especially the main gateway, beneath a watch tower, and reached by a bridge over the old moat.About half an hour distant to the north-east, on...

 in the district of Sursee in the canton

Cantons of Switzerland

The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...

 of Lucerne in Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

. It overlooks Lake Sempach

Lake Sempach

Lake Sempach is a lake in the Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland. Its area is about 14.5 km² and its maximum depth is 87 m.-External links:* *http://www.sempachersee.ch Information about the municipalites on the lake* at Sempach...

. Founded in 1924, it is a non-profit organization

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 and the largest private field research institute in Switzerland. It carries out a bird ringing program

Bird ringing

Bird ringing or bird banding is a technique used in the study of wild birds, by attaching a small, individually numbered, metal or plastic tag to their legs or wings, so that various aspects of the bird's life can be studied by the ability to re-find the same individual later...

 as well as other ornithological

Ornithology

Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...

 research, conservation biology

Conservation biology

Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...

 and public education.

Bird ringing

The Institute manages the Swiss Ringing Scheme under contract for the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape, and issues bird rings inscribed “Sempach Helvetia” for use in Switzerland only. Special projects managed by the Scheme include the Alpine ringing station “Col de Bretolet

Col de Bretolet

The Col de Bretolet is a mountain pass in the Swiss Alps in the canton of Valais, close to the border between Switzerland and the French department of Haute-Savoie. It lies above the village of Champéry at an altitude of 1923 m asl within a 567 ha nature reserve set aside for the protection and...

” at 1923 m asl

Above mean sea level

The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...

 on the Swiss-French border, and the Integrated Population Monitoring Program for the Common Kestrel

Common Kestrel

The Common Kestrel is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European Kestrel, Eurasian Kestrel, or Old World Kestrel. In Britain, where no other brown falcon occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".This species...

 and Barn Owl

Barn Owl

The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...

, which studies population changes and dispersal movements.