North America's leading avian experts will gather in Vancouver
next week to share the recent research findings on all aspects
of bird biology and conservation. It's the first time the North
American Ornithological Conference has been held in Canada, and
the conference comes in the wake of sweeping reports indicating
that some of Canada's bird populations are in steep decline. "We
can manage habitat for Purple Martins breeding on Vancouver
Island, but during the winter they are dependent on the
savannahs of Brazil and Bolivia," says Kathy Martin, UBC
professor and conference chair. "To preserve whole communities
of birds, cooperation across societies and the exchange of ideas
between scientists and practitioners is critical. This is
exactly what this conference achieves." The Conference will
bring together 1,500 participants from 25 countries for four
days at the University of British Columbia Vancouver Campus.
Researchers will present topics ranging from migration patterns,
to avian personalities, diseases, u