Abstract
The first International Parrot Convention was held by Loro Parque on the island of Tenerite, Canary Islands, in 1986, and every four years since then. Many AF A members have attended at least once.
The seventh convention took place Sept. 22-25, 2010, and this year AFA was one of the organizations with a display booth.
Mark Sargent and I set up a table to display a limited number of items found in the AFA store (those darn baggage fees!), including a selection of Watchbird magazines and copies of Dr. Benny Gallaway's "History of AFA," which he presented at the convention in St. Petersburg, Fla.
As you can see from the accompanying pictures, attendees from all over the world flocked to our table to see who and what we had to share. A number of them purchased items, including CITES pins, ties, metal tins and Watchbird copies.
The International Parrot Conventions are by far the largest parrot conventions held anywhere in the world.
This year, more than 650 people attended, and this was a down year! The convention program always offers an international slate of speakers, and this time was no exception. Simultaneous translations into English, German, French and Spanish made it possible for all attendees to follow the presentations.
Topics this year were typical of the other two times I've attended. The presentations included parrot breeding and husbandry at Loro Parque and in the U.S., Spain, Russia and Mexico; nutrition studies; veterinary interventions for breeding problems; parrot behavior; and conservation programs supported by Loro Parque Fundacion in French Polynesia (Lories), Costa Rica (Great Green/ Buffon's Macaws), Bolivia (Blue-throated Macaws) and Brazil (Spix's Macaws). LPF Director Dr. David Waugh gave an overview of Loro Parque Fundacion' s programs over the years, focusing on the most recent.
LPF has spent more than $10 million on parrot conservation programs since 1997. Because the commercial operation of the bird park (Loro Parque) pays expenses for the grant-making nonprofit foundation (LPF), the foundation can proudly claim that donations and other income is spent 100 percent on conservation programs.
Many people attend bird conventions as a vacation, and the International Parrot Conventions serve this function in a wonderful, if somewhat pricey, fashion.
The Hotel Botanico hosts the convention. It is a world-renowned fivestar hotel. The rooms are comfortable and decorated with reproductions of Eric Peake's parrot paintings.