ornitho.ch aims to give a real-time view of the ornithological actuality in Switzerland and place it in a European context through exchanges with the other platforms of the ornitho family. This platform is dedicated to the compilation of bird observations and of other animals in Switzerland and in the neighbouring regions. The observations collected are used for scientific studies and constitute a strong basis for environmental conservation projects, which presupposes high data quality standards.

Responsibility and data quality

For us it is of the highest importance that the field activity of ornitho.ch users is done in full respect of nature reserves and of each species and that the sightings posted on ornitho.ch are perfectly reliable. We assume therefore that any person sending us sightings, whether highly experienced or newbie, is able to look with enough distance on his observations, regardless of which method is used (directly from the field via the NaturaList app or afterwards on ornitho.ch). Refrain yourself from submitting a sighting if the slightest uncertainty on its identification subsists. In such cases, we recommend you to ask people of confidence to ascertain (or not…) your observation before you submit it. A short notice for confirmation to obs@ornitho.ch with some photos can do the job.

The users of ornitho.ch ensure that any and every sighting has been submitted in good conscience and that the identification has been carried out with the utmost care. This applies equally to all the supplementary details you may provide. The upload of fictive sightings will be sanctioned. Adding pictures to your sightings has to be made thoughtfully and is subject to conditions. Images recorded while breaking the law and/or infringing the common rules listed in the guidelines to “Responsible Bird Photography" does not belong to ornitho.ch. This concerns also any documentary evidences which are suspected to be manipulated or might have implied disturbances and/or threats for breeding birds or any ethically inappropriate interaction with the birds. Such records (pictures, soundtracks, etc.) may be deleted without notification by the administrators of ornitho.ch. Pictures of birds on their nests or captured are not welcome, unless they have an exceptional documentary value. In such cases, they must be added as hidden images. Photos that are clearly not genuine, i.e. that do not show the very individual which is presently reported, or private photos will be removed from ornitho.ch. All these conditions apply of course to species of other taxonomic groups. “Non-bird” sightings will be sent to the “Swiss Center for Faunal Cartography” (CSCF) and/or the “Swiss Coordination Centre for the Protection of Amphibians and Reptiles” (karch).

Transmission to other centers collecting data

By using ornitho.ch and / or the NaturaList application, you accept that your sightings as well as your personal data can be used by the Swiss Ornithological Institute according to the rules declared hereafter. “Non-bird-data” are transmitted to specific national schemes such as the “Swiss Centre for Faunal Cartography” (hereafter CSCF) and the “Swiss Coordination Centre for the Protection of Amphibians and Reptiles” (hereafter karch). The Swiss Ornithological Institute can transmit your personal data that are linked to selected sightings to the persons using these sightings. Sightings submitted outside Switzerland can be sent to partner organizations of the corresponding regions / countries. Furthermore, the Swiss Ornithological Institute may share your personal data to the CSCF / karch or to regional partner organizations or organisms abroad. They will incorporate your sightings into their databases, use them for their own needs and eventually will carry out quality checks. This also means that they may want to contact you directly if a confirmation or additional details are needed. For the regions where we do not have partners yet, the data are not controlled. The NaturaList application can be used without problems in these regions but the data remains on the servers of Biolovision S.à.r.l.

Terms of use issued by the Swiss Ornithological Institute:

1. Hereby the Swiss Ornithological Institute is authorised to utilise transmitted data, pictures or sound recordings for non-profit purposes that are in line with the principles and goals of ornitho.ch. This applies to raw data as well as processed data and is also valid for data that have already been transmitted previously.
2. The Centrale ornithologique romande of our partner Nos Oiseaux is fully integrated in ornitho.ch. The Centrale ornithologique romande has unlimited access to data collected in the French part of Switzerland.
3. Each user of ornitho.ch has the possibility to protect (=hide) parts or all of the data he submits. The Swiss Ornithological Institute guarantees that these protected sightings cannot be seen by any other user of ornitho.ch. However, the Swiss Ornithological Institute is allowed to disclose protected data to regional ornithological groups, authorities, administrations of natural reserves, conservation and impact study organisms and similar organizations and researchers, without asking the permission of their owner (the ornitho user), but taking into account the specific protection scheme, if necessary by hiding specific localization or by aggregating data. Similarly, the Swiss Ornithological Institute can use protected data for publication.
4. Users of ornitho.ch have the possibility to submit their sighting anonymously, so that their name remains invisible to other users.
5. The users have the possibility, at any time, without providing any reason, to withdraw observations made at random during excursions and prevent the Swiss Ornithological Institute to use them. However, data which constitute a substantial contribution to projects already completed or close to completion, cannot be removed (e.g. unique observation of a given species in an atlas square).
6. The results/contributions to systematic surveys, censuses, mapping programs, atlases or similar projects cannot be withdrawn.
7. Sightings from other taxonomic groups made in Switzerland are transmitted to the CSCF / karch and are subject to the same rights and the same rules (points 1-5). Observations made outside Switzerland are disclosed to the corresponding partner organizations. In addition, they can be used for international initiatives like the European Breeding Bird Atlas or the EuroBirdPortal.

All data (birds and other taxa) are subject to the rules of the "Guidelines for ownership, distribution and use of data" published by “Info Species”, the Swiss Information Network for fauna, flora and fungal species.