Vancouver is delighted to welcome ornithologists from around the world on behalf of the International Ornithologists' Union to the 27th International Ornithological Congress (IOCongress2018)! Considered the oldest and most prestigious of meetings for bird scientists, the Congress occurs every four years since first being held in Vienna, Austria, in 1884. Canada has hosted only once previously, Ott
awa in 1986, and Vancouver will be the first time the Congress has been on the Pacific Coast of the Americas. The Congress has broad national endorsement, including from the City of Vancouver, the province of British Columbia, Environment Canada, Simon Fraser University, Artists for Conservation, Tourism Vancouver plus an array of scientific societies and conservation organizations. Bird Studies Canada, the country’s leading science-based bird conservation organization is Co-Host. Such diverse supporters reflect the vision that wild birds are ambassadors for environmental health, and sustaining our bird heritage depends on all governments working in concert with Aboriginal Peoples, academia, artists, the interested public and non-government organizations. In honor of the occasion, the City’s annual Bird Week will coincide with the Congress in 2018, showcasing Vancouver to the world as a green, bird-friendly city. With this mounting enthusiasm, coupled with the spectacular venue (West Wing of the Vancouver Convention Centre), our aim is to make this Congress the most successful and important bird meeting yet. We believe that the prospect of over 2,000 scientists from ~100 countries flocking to Vancouver in combination with public events and exhibitions in celebration of all-things-birds will represent a game-changer for ornithological conferences. Your Host, the “IOCongress2018 Organizing Society”, is a registered non-profit, with many of the same members who made the 5th North American Ornithological Conference (NAOC-V, Vancouver, 2012) the biggest and most financially successful bird meeting staged in North America to-date. The team is excited about doing even better in 2018, with a once-in-a-lifetime scientific gathering of a scope and scale hitherto never attempted. As is custom, we will be offering pre- and post-Congress tours to Canada’s birding hot spots as well as daily bird-watching opportunities. Join us in fostering an international legacy and heralding a new era in ornithology. Robert Elner PhD. Convener, 27th International Ornithological Congress 2018
Scientist Emeritus, Environment Canada; Adjunct Professor, Simon Fraser University
