I would love to go to this. I know my AV will be there!



The fourth annual Parrots International Symposium 2008 is fast approaching and we are please to announce the speakers, hotel, and conference. For 2008 Parrots International has reserved the HMS Queen Mary in Long Beach (Los Angeles) California. The Parrots International Symposium 2008 will be May 30 - June 1, 2008. The theme for 2008 is “Parrots of the Caribbean”.

The Symposium has become largest annual parrot conservation convention in the world, dedicated to the exchange of ideas and knowledge regarding wild and companion parrots. This year the Symposium is co-sponsored by the UCLA Institute of the Environment and the UCLA Center for Tropical Research.

The Symposium hosts two days of Lecture Presentations and a formal Poster Session (and cocktail reception) in the art deco Queen Mary, the most elegant ocean liner ever built, now permanently berthed in the Port of Long Beach (Los Angeles, California) as a destination hotel and convention center.

The Sympsosium 2008 qualifies for 14 units of continuing educations for veterinarians. The Southern California Veterinary Medical Association is a CE co-sponsor for providing continuing education credit for the Symposium 2008.

Experts will share their knowledge and experiences from South America, Puerto Rico, The UK, The Bahamas, Bonaire, Jamaica, Trinidad, Europe, the US and more. All proceeds from the Symposium go directly to support parrot related conservation projects and field research.

You will also want to join us on May 30th for the Friday evening “Speakers’ Reception” to kick off the start of the Symposium. The Speakers’ Reception will be held on the fantail of the Queen Mary for a truly beautiful evening of fun.

Don’t miss the annual Symposium Banquet and the special Comedy/Magic Show (featuring Luigi the Psychic Parrot) on Saturday evening in the Queen’s Salon where you will spend the evening with the experts and speakers, renew old friendships and meet new friends.

Each year the Annual Silent Auction and Raffle makes winners. This year is no exception. Auction items include tropical vacations (with roundtrip airfare), original artwork, dining certificates, stainless steel cages and stands, certificates for tropical tours, autographed books, “parrot-phernalia,” and scores of desirable prizes.

Presentations will feature lectures from psittacine field researchers and conservation projects, as well as general interest parrot related topics.


The list of 2008 speakers include:

Dr. Mark Stafford, President, Parrots International (Parrots International projects)

Dr. Steve Beissinger, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley (Parrotlets)

Dr. Don Brightsmith, Ph.D., Peru (The Tambopata Research Project)

Paul Butler, RARE Conservation, UK (Promoting Protection Through Pride -RARE Conservation)

Dr. Nigel Collar PhD., UK (BirdLife International)

Dr. Susan Friedman PhD., Utah State University (Parrot behaviorist)

Susan Koenig, DEFS, Jamaica (Risks of Introduced non-native Parrots to Island Populations)

Dr. Frank Lavac, DVM, Santa Monica, CA (Avian veterinary considerations in conservation)

Alan Lieberman, CRES, Conservation and Research for Endangered Species, San Diego, CA (Translocation of the Kuhl’s Lory)

Rosemary Low, UK (Parrot Expert and Author)

Julie Weis Murad, Colorado (The Gabriel Foundation)

Bernadette L. Plair, Cincinnati Zoo, Ohio (Reintroduction of the blue-and-gold macaw to the Nariva Swamp in Trinidad)

Dr. Paul Salaman PhD., Washington DC (American Bird Conservancy, ABC)

Caroline Stahala, M.A. Florida (The Cuban Amazon / Bahama Parrot Project)

Yves de Soye, Belgium (ICUN Conservation Organization)

Dr. Darrel Styles, DVM, PhD., Washington DC (US Department of Agriculture - Avian Flu Task Force)

Dr. Thomas White, Ph.D., Puerto Rico (The Puerto Rican Parrot USFWS project)

Sam Williams, Bonaire (The Yellow-shouldered Amazon Project, A. barbadensis)


You can see their pictures and read a short biography about each speaker here;
Symposium Speakers

I wish I lived on that side of the country!

You ready for a road trip??