Should You Go to a Parrot Expo?
by Real Macaw Member: Diane Wanamaker
Imagine sitting on a plane flying to Indianapolis in July. You are wearing your World Parrot Trust T-shirt with endangered parrots beautifully portrayed across the front. A woman wearing an African Grey shirt sits down next to you; traveling with her is a woman wearing lovely parrot jewelry. The conversation begins with ìOh, are you going to MARE? Yes, how did you know? Does this sound like a commercial? These people are going to the Midwest Avian Research Expo. I met Gerri and Alice (members of the Central Jersey Parrot Club). During our flight, we discussed our parrots, how excited we were to be going to the expo, and I think we might have mentioned our children, you know, the ones without feathers.
You arrive at the Expo where you meet hundreds of people wearing parrot T-shirts. Are you a breeder or a pet owner? How many parrots do you have and what types? These are the greetings everyone uses to start conversations. You know you are talking to a serious aviculturist when they answer, A few. Pet owners either proudly or apologetically answer 2 to 11. No one had just one parrot. Who you don't meet is the average parrot owner (they probably have only one parrot). The average owner doesn't subscribe to a parrot magazine, doesn't belong to a parrot club, and doesn't own books or videos about parrots and parrot care. Regardless of your status, you can attend these expos to gather and update information. Interested persons can pursue the experts and receive personal answers to your questions. Everyone at these expos was very accommodating to individual questions asked before, during, and after each lecture. You get to network with the experts, other clubs, and other owners.
Originally, I attended MARE to learn about behavior. After hearing three different speakers, I'm still not sure I understand my parrots. Two different views of behavior modification were presented. All trainers agree that you must view life from the parrots' point of view and have empathy for your pet. Consistency and timing are two important standards that everyone can agree on. I try to understand these principles, but when is it my turn to be at the top of the pecking order?
How did I decide to go to my first expo? The same way I acquired four parrots: impulse and some background research. I don't suggest that anyone use impulse alone as a criteria for either venture. Because I own a Cockatoo, I was also interested in PBFD (Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease). Raising money for avian research really clinched the idea of attending. I especially enjoyed the veterinary lectures (it helps a lot if you are familiar with the jargon). These lectures made me realize what I didn't know about psittacine medicine. The lectures given by the different breeders were an unexpected bonus and very dangerous. After hearing these speakers passionately talk about their birds, seeing visual images (everyone had beautiful birds), and hearing the cute antidotes of raising this species.....you want one.
Expos are advertised months in advance; you can check the cost and the list of speakers either by reading parrot magazines or learning about them through your parrot club. I call or send for information, then try to plan a vacation around the ones I can attend. There are other ways to obtain information from speakers. You can call them to see if they will be in your area, or some offer over the phone consultations.....just ask. I attended the Canadian Parrot Symposium to hear Chris Davis. I learned there that she would be in South Jersey in a few months. You can also purchase the proceedings from some of the expos or symposiums. IAS (International Aviculturist Society) has a symposium in Orlando, Florida every January. I send for their proceedings annually and would love to someday be able to afford to attend.
Being a responsible pet owner is the greatest gift we can give to our beloved pets. They give us such pleasure and really ask for so little in return. Pets don't ask to be owned by us; we choose to bring them into our home. Exotic pets (which includes parrots) are challenging to care for. Owners owe it to their birds to be well informed and to be able to provide the best care they are capable of. So, let's get reading and listening. New information is becoming available almost every day. Your pets will benefit and I'm sure you'll have a great time. Maybe I will sit next to you on the plane going to Chicago!
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