By: Marguerite Floyd

When I got my first cockatiel, a lutino named Sugar Franklin, I went looking for new friends who were just as crazy as I was turning out to be. I became familiar with our local bird club, which was very small. They held a bird fair once a year, which was also small but full of birds for sale, toys, treats, accessories, raffles, and various foods.
As time went on and I made more friends long distances away, thanks to the Internet, I kept hearing about parrot conferences around the country. I couldn't imagine what such a gathering would be like. Feeling brave one day I decided to travel to Minnesota to attend a conference hosted by Sally Blanchard, which was being held in a hotel a short walking distance to the Mall of America. 

The convention was neither as large or as small as I had imagined. The schedule listed several roundtable discussions on things like wing clipping, making bird toys, discussions on the behavior of several parrot species, and more. And parrots -- oh, so many parrots! Amazons, love birds, cockatoos, cockatiels, parrotlets (one of whom bit into my finger so hard I still remember it), macaws, conures . . . some were pets, some were for sale, all beautiful and fascinating. I won a door prize of a Diana May photograph of a wild flock of African greys, which now hangs in my entry hall.
It was at this convention that I met Liz Wilson and Phoebe Linden face to face, after months of e-mail conversations. Liz was a writer and parrot behavior consultant and later became my mentor.

Phoebe was famous for her theory and practice of Abundant Weaning. She presented the advantages of buying a Ficus tree for our pet parrots to play in, which inspired my first humor column for the online magazine Parrot Chronicles. I also met Kashmir Csaky, the renowned breeder of hyacinth macaws. She had been summoned to the Minnesota Zoo to consult about their macaws, and I asked if I could go with her, just to watch and learn. She graciously agreed.

Once I learned I could survive a parrot conference, I became a great fan. I attended them in Ohio, Indiana, Long Beach, Connecticut, and Houston. I’ve taken two parrot lovers' cruises and attended the 2014 International Parrot Convention in Tenerife, Spain
The internet and web have contributed to the demise of most local bird clubs, so parrot conferences now meet the need to gather and gush about our parrots. They are usually organized by bird clubs and rescue organizations, with sponsorships frequently provided by companies that specialize in bird-related products. 

Generally speaking, everyone is friendly and approachable, so even the shyest person is likely to feel comfortable and included. In truth, it's not difficult to talk to a parrot enthusiast; the problem is getting a word in edgewise. 
So find a parrot conference near you and buy a ticket. Take a friend or go alone. Be sure to leave room in your suitcase for all the bird toys you'll get and room in your brain for all the things you'll learn. You’ll fit right in!

Have you attended any parrot conferences? If so, tell us about them!