Abstract
A number of AF A members were present in Seattle, Washington, March 8 thru 12, 1978, for the first International "Birds In Captivity" Symposium, organized by Mr. Jan van Oosten. A grueling schedule, up to fourteen hours a day of papers, included topics ranging from penguins in zoos to recent species of birds discovered in Peru. Veterinarians, zoo curators, professors, private aviculturists, and quarantine station owners, everyone present had a common bond of interest ~ birds. We heard Jean Delacour, Didy Graham, Rosemary Low, and Joseph Forshaw, among others, discuss their own perspective on issues of endangered species, captive preservation of species, reintroduction and husbandry of many species.
The AF A booth was the center of much positive discussion throughout the Symposium. Over two hundred subscription forms and other literature were distributed to interested fellow aviculturists. In fact, people often became so fascinated with the quality of AF A literature, copies of Watchbird literally walked away from under the glass display!
The symposium was very successful, both on the informative level and upon the social level. All AF A members present enjoyed the intellectual and social activities very much and look forward to a second International "Birds In Captivity" Symposium sometime in the future.