Jan van der Gulik from Portugal was the last speaker of the first day. He told how he started breeding various birds in The Netherlands and got into trouble with the Dutch authorities and CITES. He left The Netherlands and went to Portugal, where he bought a piece of land and started a breeding facility, together with three other families.

He had a remarkable solution for the conservation of parrots in the wild, where money is usually the issue. He suggested taking away the first clutch of eggs from the parrots in the wild against payment, after which the birds would lay a second clutch which is left to the birds. For every young that hatches, an additional payment is made, and in this way, the conservation of the species in the wild will finance itself. Furthermore, this method will prevent the import of any diseases and will not harm the birds themselves.

During the gala dinner in the evening, everyone was able to catch up with old friends, make new acquaintances and further discuss the topics of the day.

Jamie Gilardie from the USA was the first speaker on Sunday, and gave an update on what the World Parrot Trust has accomplished for the protection of parrots during the past years.  The prohibiting of the importation of parrots within the EU was one of the major achievements.

Morten Bruun Rasmussen from Denmark breeds parrots, which is quite a challenge since the temperature there can vary from 20 degrees Celsius in summertime to minus 20 degrees Celsius during the winter. All his aviaries have underfloor heating, and the lighting and water supply is controlled automatically. He feeds his birds a seed mixture, and 4-6 weeks before the breeding season, he adds greens. Sprouted seeds are being fed when there are young birds.

Dr Lorenzo Crosta from Italy gave a lively presentation on avian medicine. For breeders it is important to know the normal behavior of their own birds, so that they can immediately detect if there is something wrong. Behavior is also species-related. Chicks that have been raised by their parents can be tested for diseases immediately, but it is no use to test chicks that have been raised in an incubator, since they will not carry any bacteria. If the development of a chick is lagging behind, one should have a blood test done on in order to find the cause. Dr Crosta presented a lot of slides about things that could go wrong during the breeding and raising of young birds.

Susan Friedman from the USA replaced Steve Martin who was unable to attend the seminar. She explained the ABC for solving problem behavior. A stands for ‘antecedent’, B for ‘behavior’ and C for ‘consequence’. Problem behavior is the result of the interaction between the owner and the bird. She showed some examples, and the audience had to say whether A, B or C were applicable in these cases. Susan gives on line training courses on behavior and one can apply via www.behaviorworks.org

Mark Hagen from Canada told how Hagen Avicultural Research Institute (HARI, one of the few bird food companies) used to be the biggest importer of birds in Canada in 1982, but that now, two-thirds of their birds are bred in captivity.  They keep their breeding facilities meticulous clean and select the tamest birds for breeding pets. Hagen produces a large variety of bird foods.

Matthias Reinschmidt from Tenerife is curator of one of the largest parrot collections in the world at Loro Parque. They have about 4000 parrots and they breed 1200-1500 parrots on an annual basis in their breeding facilities, which raises about Euro 400.000,- annually. The breeding facility has about 1500 cages, and through enrichment (swings, ropes, branches and plants) and a varied diet, they look after the welfare of the breeding birds. Next year a huge new flight will be open for public. The recession has also affected tourism in Tenerife, and hopefully the 7th International Parrot Convention – from 22 to 25 September 2010 – will attract a lot of tourists to Tenerife again.

Rick Jordan from the USA made a plea for cooperation between aviculturists, breeders and conservationists. Aviculture can contribute significantly, with available information on the conservation of parrots in the wild.

Dr Petra Wolf from Germany stressed the importance of good nutrition for the health of parrots. The digestion of the various nutrients is of most importance for birds, and the composition and quantity is based on the energy level of a specific bird. Soft foods, like fruit and vegetables, should be removed within 6 hours, and water bowls should be changed a few times a day to prevent the build-up of bacteria and which can lead to disease.

After the symposium, there was an opportunity to join a sightseeing tour of the mountains and lakes in the area of Wicklow and Glendalough, which presented some spectacular views.

I am looking forward to the next International Parrot Symposium.