Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux
French nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting birds, habitats and biodiversity.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux, generally known as the LPO, is a French environmental association focused on the conservation of birds, wildlife and biodiversity. Founded in 1912 after campaigns against the killing of puffins in Brittany, it developed from a bird-protection movement into a nationwide conservation network combining scientific research, habitat management, environmental education, public advocacy, wildlife rescue and citizen participation. The organization’s origins are closely associated with the Sept-Îles archipelago off the northern coast of Brittany. In 1908, Albert Chappellier observed the deteriorating condition of the puffin colony there and proposed creating a protected area. In 1912, Lieutenant Hémery publicized the slaughter of puffins by hunters, including organized hunting trips promoted by the Chemins de fer de l’Ouest. Louis Magaud d’Aubusson and other members of the Société nationale de protection de la nature subsequently helped establish the LPO in Paris. The Sept-Îles national nature reserve was created later that year and became the organization’s emblematic conservation project. The LPO’s logo still refers to this origin through its depiction of two puffins. For much of its early history, the LPO emphasized the protection of birds considered useful to agriculture, the enforcement of protective legislation and opposition to the trade in feathers. Its approach broadened during the twentieth century. Following the 1950 International Convention for the Protection of Birds and the growth of modern nature conservation, the organization increasingly concentrated on protecting habitats, restoring ecosystems and using scientific evidence to guide conservation. By the late 1970s it had expanded its membership, research activity, educational work and reserve-management programs. The LPO was formally recognized as an association of public interest by a French government decree dated July 3, 1986, published in the Journal officiel on July 9 of that year. This status enables it to receive donations, gifts and bequests. Since 1995, it has represented BirdLife International in France. From 1990 onward, the organization developed a structured network of regional and departmental associations. These local bodies are legally independent but work under agreements with LPO France and share its broad objective of protecting biodiversity. Its activities now extend well beyond bird protection. The LPO manages wildlife rehabilitation facilities, supports national species-recovery plans, participates in European LIFE projects, contributes to Natura 2000 habitat programs and advises public authorities, farmers and businesses. Its Des Terres et des Ailes initiative promotes biodiversity-friendly practices in agricultural landscapes, while Nature en ville applies ecological inventories and habitat measures to urban planning and development. The organization also operates the LPO Refuges program, through which households, schools, businesses, municipalities and public institutions manage gardens, parks and other spaces for wildlife. Public engagement is a central part of the LPO model. Members and volunteers contribute to field surveys, reserve work, awareness events, wildlife care and local conservation projects. Through Visionature and the Faune-France portal, naturalists can submit observations that support biodiversity monitoring. The LPO also produces public and specialist publications, including L'Oiseau Mag, L'Oiseau Mag Junior and Ornithos, and offers nature outings, training and online learning such as the MOOC Ornitho. The organization operates seven wildlife rehabilitation centers in Île-Grande, Clermont-Ferrand, Buoux, Audenge, Castres, Rosenwiller and Villeveyrac, together with mobile care units based in La Rochelle. It is active across almost all of France through branches, associations and local groups. Its public role includes participation in environmental consultation and policy debates, while its transparency is supported by inclusion in the French NGO transparency barometer and the European Union Transparency Register. The LPO remains an active, membership-supported conservation organization whose identity combines bird expertise with broader ecosystem and biodiversity protection.
History
The LPO traces its origins to early French bird-protection campaigns. A group of teachers established an organization using the name Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux in 1898. The movement that became the modern national association took shape after Albert Chappellier visited the Sept-Îles archipelago in 1908 and reported the poor condition of its puffin colony. In 1912, Lieutenant Hémery denounced the organized slaughter of puffins on Brittany's northern coast. Louis Magaud d'Aubusson and colleagues linked to the Société nationale de protection de la nature responded by creating the LPO in Paris, with the initial objective of enforcing bird-protection rules and preventing the destruction of species considered beneficial to agriculture. The Sept-Îles reserve was established in September 1912 and became the first French bird reserve. For decades, the reserve and campaigns against the feather trade were central to the association's work. Louis Magaud d'Aubusson served as the first president until 1917. After a short period under Louis Ternier, Jean Delacour led the organization from 1921 to 1976, broadening its membership and bringing women more visibly into the movement. Alexandrine Feuillée-Billot served as an influential administrative secretary for more than four decades and represented an important female contribution to French ornithological conservation during the interwar period. The 1950 International Convention for the Protection of Birds helped shift conservation thinking away from a solely utilitarian view of birds. During the 1960s and 1970s, the LPO increasingly embraced habitat protection, scientific monitoring, reserve creation and improved ecological conditions. Its membership and conservation activities grew substantially; by 1977 it had approximately 2,500 members and was regarded as a national reference organization. Environmental education became an increasingly important part of its work. The association received French public-interest recognition through a decree of July 3, 1986, published on July 9. Antoine Reille served as president until that year, after which Allain Bougrain-Dubourg became president. The organization also professionalized its administration: Michel Métais served as its first director general from 1977 to 2014. In 1990, the first LPO regional branch was established in Lorraine, beginning the development of a coordinated national network of local and departmental associations. These entities generally remain legally and financially autonomous while operating under agreements with LPO France. The LPO became the French representative of BirdLife International in 1995. Its conservation portfolio expanded into national species-recovery plans, Natura 2000 habitat programs, European LIFE projects, agricultural biodiversity and urban ecology. The organization also established or supported wildlife rescue capacity. Its current network includes seven rehabilitation centers and mobile care units, and it participates in the French Union of Wildlife Rescue Centers network. Public participation has remained a defining feature. The LPO Refuges program, created in 1921, allows individuals, schools, companies and public bodies to manage land or gardens according to biodiversity-friendly principles. By the program's centenary in 2021, it comprised more than 40,000 participating sites or members and covered over 50,000 hectares, according to the referenced material. Since 2006, the LPO has awarded the Golden Puffin to people recognized for contributions to bird and biodiversity protection. It has also developed publications, nature trips, volunteer programs and online learning. The organization's scientific and civic infrastructure continued to grow in the twenty-first century. In 2008 it was included in the first edition of a French NGO transparency barometer, and in 2014 it entered the European Union Transparency Register. It established a scientific and technical committee in 2016, gained authorization to participate in national environmental consultations in 2018, and supported Visionature and the Faune-France citizen-science system. In 2019, membership exceeded 50,000. Today the LPO combines national advocacy with local conservation, operating across almost all of France and maintaining a public identity rooted in the protection of birds while addressing biodiversity and ecosystem resilience more broadly.
- 2019
Membership exceeds 50,000
[1]The LPO passed the 50,000-member milestone.
- 2016
Scientific and technical committee established
[1]The association created a committee to strengthen scientific and technical coordination.
- 2012
Centenary Birdfair held in Paimbœuf
[1]The LPO marked its centenary with a French birdwatching fair inspired by the British Birdwatching Fair.
- 1995
Becomes BirdLife International representative in France
[1]The LPO assumed BirdLife International's representative role in France.
- 1986
Recognized as an association of public interest
[1]A French decree granted the LPO public-interest recognition, including eligibility to receive donations, gifts and bequests.
- 1921
LPO Refuges program begins
[1]The association launched a program enabling private and public landholders to manage spaces for wildlife and biodiversity.
- 1912
Modern LPO founded
[1]The association was founded in Paris following protests over puffin slaughter and the failure to enforce bird-protection legislation.
- 1912
Sept-Îles bird reserve created
[1]The Réserve naturelle nationale des Sept-Îles was established, becoming the LPO's defining early conservation project.
- 1908
Puffin colony crisis identified at Sept-Îles
[1]Albert Chappellier observed the declining condition of the Sept-Îles puffin colony and proposed protected-area action.
- 1898
Early bird-protection league established
[1]A group of teachers founded an organization using the Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux name, providing an early precursor to organized French bird conservation.
Products and positioning
A science-based French conservation network combining bird protection, ecosystem restoration, wildlife rescue, environmental education, citizen science and public-policy advocacy.
Conservation participation program · 1921
LPO Refuges
A long-running program through which individuals, schools, businesses, municipalities and public institutions commit gardens, parks, balconies or other spaces to biodiversity-friendly management. Participants are encouraged to protect wildlife, plants, soil and ecological processes rather than treating the site only as ornamental space.
Wildlife rescue
Wildlife rehabilitation centers
The LPO manages seven wildlife care centers located in Île-Grande, Clermont-Ferrand, Buoux, Audenge, Castres, Rosenwiller and Villeveyrac, supported by mobile units in La Rochelle. The centers receive injured, sick or distressed wild animals and contribute to public education and conservation expertise.
Citizen science · 2017
Visionature and Faune-France
A collaborative naturalist-data infrastructure supported by LPO France. It enables observers and participating organizations to submit and share wildlife records, with the Faune-France portal providing a national platform for biodiversity observation and monitoring.
Conservation publication · 1985
L'Oiseau Mag
A quarterly nature magazine created in 1985 for a broad adult readership. It communicates bird and biodiversity knowledge, conservation issues and practical ways for the public to engage with nature. The publication has also included a recurring special issue devoted to birds of prey.
Scientific journal · 1994
Ornithos
A specialist field-ornithology journal publishing and presenting ornithological studies, observations and technical material for readers engaged in bird research and monitoring.
Online education · 2018
MOOC Ornitho
An online introductory ornithology course developed by the LPO with Natagora. It extends the organization's educational mission beyond local outings and printed publications by offering structured digital learning about bird identification, ecology and observation.
Marketing campaigns
- 2012Centenary Birdfair
France
The LPO organized a birdwatching fair in Paimbœuf to mark its hundredth anniversary and promote public interest in birds and nature observation.
Outcome. The event formed part of the organization's centenary program and helped popularize birdwatching in France.
- 1921LPO Refuges
France
The LPO created a voluntary network encouraging landholders and institutions to manage gardens, parks and other spaces for wildlife.
Outcome. The program became one of the association's principal public-participation and habitat-management initiatives.
- 1912Sept-Îles puffin protection
France · Brittany
The campaign against puffin slaughter and the degradation of the Sept-Îles colony led to the LPO's formation and the creation of a protected bird reserve.
Outcome. The Sept-Îles reserve became the organization's emblematic conservation site and inspired its puffin logo.
- Des Terres et des Ailes
France
A program supported by the French agricultural chamber that promotes practical measures for bringing nature back into agricultural holdings and rural landscapes.
- Nature en ville
France
An urban-biodiversity initiative supporting ecological inventories, wildlife refuges, planning advice and biodiversity-sensitive management for development professionals and local authorities.
Brand decisions
2018
Launch MOOC OrnithoProduct launchBackground
The LPO sought to make ornithological education available through digital channels as well as publications, outings and local events.
Action taken
It launched MOOC Ornitho with Natagora.
Aftermath
The course extended the LPO's educational offer to online learners.
2017
Support Visionature citizen scienceStrategyBackground
Biodiversity policy increasingly depended on broad geographic observation data supplied by professional and amateur naturalists.
Action taken
LPO France began supporting Visionature, including the Faune-France observation portal.
Aftermath
The initiative created a larger collaborative framework for collecting and sharing biodiversity records.
1995
Represent BirdLife International in FranceStrategyBackground
The LPO was developing a national network while linking French conservation work to international bird-protection structures.
Action taken
It became BirdLife International's official representative in France.
Aftermath
The role connected the LPO's French conservation and advocacy work with the international BirdLife network.
1986
Secure public-interest recognitionStrategyBackground
The LPO had expanded from a bird-protection association into a national conservation organization with growing education and habitat programs.
Action taken
The organization obtained recognition as an association of public interest through a French decree.
Aftermath
The status strengthened its institutional standing and permitted it to receive donations, gifts and bequests.
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