AVES INTERNATIONAL PARROT CONVENTION
Speakers from 2017
Speakers listed in alphabetical order
john aynes
John Aynes is the owner and founder of the Oakhill Avian Center, located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA. The Center is an accredited institutional member of the Zoological Association of America as well as member of the Species 360 (formerly known as ISIS).
John has kept and bred hookbills for 30+ years, specializing in several cockatoo species. Currently, the center keeps about 400 parrots ranging in size from Sun Conures to Hyacinth Macaws.
debashis banerjee
A Practising Endodontist and a Professor of Postgraduate Dentistry, Dr. Debashis Banerjee is also a member of the Dental Council of India involved in active Academics and Administrative Regulation of Dentistry in India. He completed his graduation and Postgraduation in Operative Dentistry and Endodontics from Asia's oldest dental institution - Dr R Ahmed Dental College in 2001.
He balances and juggles his professional career concurrently with the love and passion of his life --AVICULTURE.
Along with his wife and 2 children he runs SUNSHINE BIRDWORLD, his passionate dream child.
SUNSHINE BIRDWORLD is an Exotic Bird farm and Avicultural Research Centre located on more than 5 Acres of land near Kolkata in India.
Dr. Banerjee was uncannily attracted to nature and various life forms from a very early age and kept numerous pets from insects to lizards, fish, birds, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits and other animals since early childhood.
His introduction to Exotic Aviculture came about when he started keeping Budgerigars in 1990. From then on there was no looking back and today SUNSHINE BIRDWORLD is responsibly caring for a formidable breeding collection ranging from Finches, Grass Parakeets, Australian broad tailed Parakeets , a wide variety of Conures, multitudes of Quaker Mutations, various sub-species of Eclectus Parrots, Caiques, African Grey Parrots, Pionus, Cockatoos, a variety of small and large Macaws including Hyacinths and also a vast collection of Lories and Lorikeets as well as Toucans, Turacos and Starlings.
At SUNSHINE BIRDWORLD, the focus is on developing ideal Captive Management Protocols for sustained long term health maintenance and Positive and Active Propagation.
In his quest for gleaning and imparting knowledge and promoting Aviculture, Dr Banerjee is a member of numerous Avicultural Organisations from all over the World including the American Federation of Aviculture ( AFA) and the Loro Parque Fundacion ( LPF). He has also toured extensively over Europe and South - East Asia visiting countless Avicultural setups, Bird Parks and Bird Farms to gain Experience and Exposure to various Avicultural Management methods used. He plans to continue on his tours Worldwide in his quest for Avicultural Knowledge and Exposure.
His focus today and for the future remains on Popularising and Promoting Aviculture Worldwide, as he strongly believes in Captive Breeding by Aviculturists as one of the Primary means of Active Conservation of Birds.
BILL BOYD
I have been into birds since I was introduced to them by my grandfather when I was about 6 years old and have been fascinated by birds ever since. I have kept and bred around 30 species of Australian parrots and have specialised in the Golden-shouldered Parrot, Hooded Parrot and the Swift Parrot in the last 30 years.
My involvement in serious aviculture started over forty years ago. I will be 71 years old by the time of the convention but I feel much younger, I keep active, I race cars (at club level) and this year I am finally retiring from my plumbing business. I try to move with the times and not think that how I go about bird keeping is the only way, I am still learning but forty odd years of keeping and breeding birds gives me the chance to pass on my experiences to others.
JEFF BRAY
Jeff’s father kept birds in a New South Wales country town where they lived in the 1950’s. When he moved to Sydney at the age of seven his father was not disappointed when he wanted to get more birds. He started off with the usual pet budgie and quickly progressed to breeding budgies, homing pigeons, parrots and finches. By the age of fourteen or fifteen he was keeping Silvereyes, Bulbuls and hand-rearing Indian Mynas which led to the lifelong love of softbills, which is now over 50 years.
He currently keeps and breeds many species including a few parrots, pheasants, Mandarin Ducks, most of the pigeons and doves available to us in Australia, including the frugivorous species and Wompoo and Nicobar Pigeons and numerous species of softbills. The softbills include two species of bowerbirds, Metallic Starlings, two species of Lapwings (Plovers), Bulbuls, Whipbirds, Sacred and Forest Kingfishers, Thick-knees (Curlews), Glossy Ibis, Buff –banded rails (both normal and pied), Noisy and Rainbow Pittas, Rainbow Bee-eaters, Catbirds, Honeyeaters, Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens, White-browed and Yellow-throated Scrub wrens and in the past a few others which have been moved on to make room for the more rare species.
Over the years the husbandry of softbills has improved in leaps and bounds and most species which were once very difficult to even maintain are now being bred for several generations without the difficulty experienced in the past. Jeff has done numerous presentations for local and interstate bird clubs and is very active in online forums and groups which are based on aviculture and wild bird rehabilitation and is happy to share any knowledge gained over the years. Several years ago he started a very active Facebook group called Softbills Australia, which now has well over one thousand members worldwide. He has found that the interest in aviculture works well combined with his other hobby of horticulture and in particular the trimming techniques involved in Bonsai, the other lifelong passion.
BOB DONELEY
Dr Bob Doneley graduated from the University of Queensland in 1982 and worked in veterinary practices in Bundaberg, Brisbane, Toowoomba and the UK before opening his own practice, the West Toowoomba Veterinary Surgery, in Toowoomba in 1988.
His interest in bird medicine was initially developed shortly after graduation when he was asked to give a talk to the Bundaberg Budgerigar Association and realised that he had been taught virtually nothing on this subject while a student.
He was awarded his Fellowship (FANZCVS) in 2003, becoming Queensland’s first specialist in bird medicine, the third in Australia. In the same year he was awarded the College Prize by the Australian College for outstanding contributions to veterinary science in Australia
In 2010 he sold his practice after 22 years to take up the position of Head of Small Animal Services, Veterinary Medical Centre at the University of Queensland’s Gatton campus. He is now an Associate Professor and Head of the Avian and Exotic Pet Service, a specialist bird practice, as well as treating reptiles, small mammals and wildlife.
He lectures to both University of Queensland and James Cook University veterinary students on bird and exotic animal medicine, has published two textbooks on bird medicine, written chapters for three other textbooks and has published numerous papers in veterinary journals.
VANESSA TAVARES KANAAN
Post-doc in Agroecosystems and Ecology from Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brasil (respectively 2011, 2012), PhD in Animal Sciences from Purdue University, USA (2008), Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Biology from Campbellsville University, USA (2002). Specialized in Ethology, Animal Welfare and Conservation, acting on the following topics: rehabilitation, release and monitoring of wild animals, social behavior, conditioning and environmental enrichment.
Idealization and implementation of the first reintroduction project in a Brazilian National Park approved by the governmental agency Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio): “Reintroduction of Amazona vinacea at the Araucárias National Park, Santa Catarina, Brazil”. Current Instituto Espaço Silvestre Director, Member of the Advisory Group of the following National Action Plan: Atlantic forest birds and Spix´s Macaw, Behavioral specialist group of Captive Programs: Lear´s Macaw and Spix's macaw. Member of the IUCN/SSC Re-introduction Specialist Group.
michael lee
Michael embarked on his aviculture journey at early age, breeding budgerigars with his father as a hobby. Michael maintained his interest in budgerigar breeding until his interests matured into other areas of aviculture.
After meeting his partner, who also had an interest in aviculture but a particular focus on macaws, soon became a joint adventure in macaws. Their journey started with a pair of Blue & Gold Macaws, followed by a second pair six months later, to now over 60 Macaws in their collection.
This passion built the foundations and the official formation of the Australian Macaw Research Centre (AMRC). The AMRC is the first and only private research centre dedicated to the research of macaws in Australia, and the second private research centre to be admitted into Species 360.
Michael has a particular interest in macaw diet and nutrition, and tracing particular blood lines to the original imports of macaws into Australia. With the cessation of macaw importation into Australia, the blood line traceability has proven to be quite valuable data for husbandry purposes. Michael has researched every AMRC macaw blood line extensively back to the original importation. This information is then entered into sophisticated software, which then can be used to compile detailed reports.
The AMRC collects and shares data with other international research centres, breeders and conservationists, endeavouring to educate and assist in macaw conservation both in Australia and on International platforms.
In later 2017, the AMRC is relocating to 50 acres, where further research and expansion can occur. This will include zoological enclosures being designed and built with the implementation of new technologies.
DAVID MONROGER
I live in France.
I breed Australian, American and Asiatic parrots.
I like to breed pure species and also colors mutations....
I am photographer, another passion.
Thanks to these 2 passions, I travel all over the world to meet breeders or to see fantastic birds in the wild.
rafael zamora padron
Rafael Zamora Padrón Biologist Specializing in Zoology Scientific Director Loro Parque Fundación since very young. Rafael Zamora Padrón has been a breeder and later a prominent ornithologist who has always been committed to conservation.
His career started with an apprenticeship as a veterinary assistant and he became acquainted with the clinical environment of various veterinarian hospitals, where he developed a good work as microbiologist. In parallel, and after his research about ethology and reproduction of European and exotic birds in controlled environments, he finished his studies in biology with focus on Zoology, Botany and Parasitology. At that time he developed his own breeding laboratory with about 500 birds with included a long list of different species of granivorous and insectivores. He obtained a grant within the agreement between the University of La Laguna in Tenerife and the Loro Parque Fundación in order to investigate the behavior of the Spix´s Macaw.
After more than three years of intensive research about the ethology of this emblematic macaw extinct in nature, he became a staff member of Loro Parque recognized as the Nº1 Zoo in Europe and the second of the world according to TripAdvisor and in Loro Parque Fundación the largest genetic reserve of parrots of the world where work with more than 3.700 parrots of 350 species and subspecies.
Rafael has successfully reproduced emblematic endangered species such as Lear´s or Spix´s macaws, but always giving equal importance to more known species that are equally important in the world of conservation.
Rafael Zamora is author of various documentary scripts and a consultant in radio and television broadcasts. He always maintains his promise to respect fauna in the wild and in captivity.
Today he is also advisor, through Loro Parque Fundación, for numerous private zoological institutions in Europe, South America and Asia. He presents his knowledge and experience in conferences, workshops, conventions and seminars around the world, and regularly writes publications in this field. Now as scientific director of Loro Parque Fundación he works hard to unify both fields: Reproduction in controlled environments and conservation of species at all levels.
cromwell purchase
From South Africa, Cromwell Purchase studied for many years gaining degrees in a varied field, but ultimately went on to focus more in animals. He went on to gain a Masters in Veterinary Science at Onderstepoort concentrating on Avian Diseases, Medicine and Vaccine Technology, and a PhD at the University of Pretoria in Zoology specializing in Avian Nutritional Physiology.
He has been involved in aviculture since 1987 (aged 10) and has more than 25 years of self-taught avian incubation and hand-rearing experience, and amassed a large private breeding collection of a mixture of parrots, with a favorite focus on Lories and Lorikeets. In addition he has over 10 years of hands-on reptile/arachnid captive breeding/husbandry and large mammal husbandry and training experience.
Since December 2010, Cromwell started as the Blue Macaw Captive Coordinator at Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation, and was soon promoted to Head of Birds, he also took over the research and conservation departments due to his background and education. In 2013 Cromwell was promoted to the director position at Al Wabra.
Cromwell is currently the International Studbook Keeper, Genealogist and Management consultant for the Spix’s macaw recovery program
TONY SILVA Live Skype
Tony Silva became mesmerized with parrots when 10 years old, when he started visiting a pet store that exhibited a Blue and Gold Ara ararauna and Scarlet Macaw Ara macao. The store owner claimed that macaws mated in the air and would not breed in captivity. That concept seemed incredible and sparked an interest that resulted in him acquiring his first big parrot by age 16 (in 1976). Soon the number of species and individuals grew and by 1978 Tony had achieved the first US breeding of the Slender-billed Conure Enicognathus leptorhynchus.
Tony´s curiosity, early success and interest led to more species being acquired and in travels to the Caribbean and South America to study parrots in the wild, as direct observations in the field were considered key to achieving success in captivity. Tony´s first significant field studies were conducted in Argentina during the 1980s, when weight and growth gains of hand-reared young Amazona aestiva were compared to young being reared in the wild by their parents. The next decade resulted in more species being studied and bred; to date, Tony has studied parrots in the field in Asia, Africa, all of Latin America and the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. Tony has kept and bred in his private collection or during his tenure as Curator at Loro Parque 82% of all parrot species. His breeding achievements includes the Spix´s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii, this while working with various individuals and government agencies to establish the Spix´s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii recovery program—a project that has helped save this species from extinction.
During an avicultural career spanning more than four decades, Tony has had hundreds of articles published. These have appeared in English, Spanish, French, Czech, German, Portuguese, Chinese, Russian and other languages. Tony has lectured on parrots in all continents and has had seven books published.
Tony just recently completed co-authoring a paper naming and description a new member of the genus Amazona.
Tony maintains a large breeding collection and a rescue center for unwanted parrots in south Florida. Both facilities allow him to continue to expand on his vast knowledge base
WAYNE WHEATLEY
Wayne Wheatley, South Africa, has been breeding, importing and exporting parrots for 25 years and owns a varied collection of Macaws, Amazons, African Parrots, Lorikeets, Golden Conures and a few unusual species such as Kea’s, Blue Naped parrots and Purple Bellied parrots.
Having travelled to many countries to observe parrots in the wild and visit bird parks and collections, Wayne has spoken at conferences both in South Africa and abroad. With aviculture greatly impacted by regulation and increased environmental concerns as well as pressure on captive management and scientific developments, Wayne is well versed in the current day environment in which we, as aviculturists, follow our passion.