Abstract
The AFA is helping sponsor the Symposium on Breeding Birds in Captivity to be held February 12-15, 1987 by the International Foundation for the Conservation of Birds at the Sheraton Premiere Hotel, Universal City, California.
The symposium is being held in honor of the late Dr. Jean Delacour. The roster of world-famous speakers is truly impressive and covers virtually every aspect of aviculture of interest to the serious aviculturist. In addition to species discussions, facets of everyday care and sophisticated management techniques featuring the very latest technology will be examined.
The late Dr. Jean Delacour, whom the symposium honors, is considered by most to be both the father of modern ornithology, as well as the father of aviculture, and he was truly a great contributor to both. Born in France in 1890, Delacour's life spanned an era of the greatest scientific discoveries and with his passing, the era in which the world's avifauna was discovered, collected, described, and classified came to an end. His five collecting trips to French Indochina and adjacent areas of Southeast Asia completely changed the status and degree of knowledge of that part of the world's immense and wonderful variety of birds. In addition to his contribution to our understanding of Southeast Asian birds, he pioneered work in Madagascar and wrote volumes on specific groups of birds, including pheasants, waterfowl, pigeons and doves, and the cracids ( currasows, chachalacas and guans).
From the beginning, Delacour was fascinated with the idea of keeping and observing living birds. Entranced with the story of the garden of Eden, Delacour dreamed of recreating it. Though carnivores would not fit from a practical sense, and birds would have to be in aviaries, nevertheless, he did establish a remarkable collection of mixed species, many of which roamed free on the grounds of his magnificent 660-acre chateau at Cleres in Normandy, France.
Although a native of France, Delacour spent considerable time in the United States. He arrived in New York in 1940 to escape the ravages of World War II. There he joined the staffs of the American Museum of Natural History and the Bronx Zoo. In 1952 he was offered the directorship of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, where he remained until his retirement in 1960. Thereafter, Delacour took up additional travels around the world, visiting friends, studying his beloved birds, and enjoying his retirement, which lasted until 1985 shortly after his 96th birthday.
Throughout his long life, Jean Delacour maintained perhaps the best aviary ever assembled, despite the interruption and destruction of two world wars. He was a scholarly, kind, generous man. Ever humble in spite of accomplishments unequaled in the field of ornithology and aviculture, he was willing to share his knowledge and offer words of encouragement to friends, acquaintances, and those he didn't know, alike.
It is this man the symposium honors and in a manner in keeping with his spirit, the spirit of expanding the frontiers of knowledge.
Those of you who attended the first conference well remember the unexcelled quality of the program, as well as the social functions. This is an event not to be missed - the event of the year!
AFA will hold its semi-annual board meeting at the Symposium on the day before it begins at 9:30 a.m., February 11, 1987 at the Sheraton Premiere Hotel. Please see hotel lobby calendar of events for location.
AFA members attending the symposium are requested to indicate they are an AFA member on their registration form as well as on their check! This is very important that such notation be made.•