<p>A new compact static birefringent Doppler wind imaging interferometer has been developed for the purpose of observing upper atmospheric winds using suitably isolated airglow emissions. The instrument, called the Birefringent Doppler Wind imaging Interferometer (BIDWIN), combines a field widened birefringent delay plate placed between two crossed Wollaston prisms with an imaging system, waveplates and polarizers to produce four fixed 90-degree phase stepped images of the interference fringes conjugate to the scene of interest. A four-point algorithm is used to extract line of sight Doppler wind measurements across the image of the scene. The arrangement provides a similar throughput to that of a field widened Michelson interferometer, albeit constructed without moving parts. Consequently, the instrument provides a compact, lightweight and robust alternative. In this paper, the instrument concept is presented and the design and optimization of a prototype version of the instrument is discussed. Characterization of the lab prototype is presented and the performance of the instrument is examined by applying the instrument to measure a low velocity two-dimensional Doppler wind field with a high precision (5 m/s) in the lab.</p>