Abstract
The majority of the birds that inhabit tropical forests are small fruit or insect eaters. Despite this the group has received little attention in terms of their housing and breeding as well as other aspects of their captive management. To address this gap in the avicultural literature and to encourage more avi cultrist s to breed and maintain softbillccl species the International Softbill Society was formed. Although only formally an organization since early 1986, the society's membership surpassed 100 by the fall of that year. The society's first publication was distributed in August and its first meeting held at the 12th Annual Convention of the American Federation of Aviculture (New Orleans). Since that time the membership has grown and its quarterly publication "The Honeycreeper" steadily improved upon. Its recent meeting held in Seattle in conjunction with the 13th annual AFA Convention was attendee! by more than 40 individuals.
