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Anna’s Hummingbird Photo: May Haga

The world’s biggest celebration of birds and bird science is just six months away! We hope you’ll join Bird Studies Canada in Vancouver, British Columbia, as we co-host the International Ornithological Congress from August 19 to 26, 2018.
As we plan for the big event, we’re excited to share recent developments, and reminders to help you make the most of your Congress experience.
First and foremost, be sure to register soon. The discounted early bird rates are only available until April 3.
To help students and early-career researchers attend this historic meeting, the Society of Canadian Ornithologists and Bird Studies Canada are offering travel grants. The application guidelines and forms for the travel grants can be found on the student awards page of the Society of Canadian Ornithologists website. Applications for awards should be emailed to Ken Otter (ken.otter@unbc.ca) at the joint Society of Canadian Ornithologists/Bird Studies Canada awards committee by April 1.
Please also note that the deadline to submit an abstract has been extended to March 29.
Once you’ve taken care of the administrative side of things, check out the preliminary Program at a Glance for a taste of what you have to look forward to!
You definitely won’t want to miss our “Canada Night” reception on Tuesday, August 21. This very special event is organized and co-hosted by Bird Studies Canada and the Society of Canadian Ornithologists. The evening will include a featured presentation by the renowned author and conservationist Margaret Atwood. Your ticket is included with Congress registration. BSC and SCO are very pleased to announce that the event’s Premier Sponsor at the ‘Platinum’ level is the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). Additional support for Canada Night has been gratefully received from ‘Silver’ sponsors Ducks Unlimited Canada, Thompson Rivers University, and University of Northern British Columbia.
“Birds help connect us to nature. But there’s something about the risk of losing our birds – about a morning without birdsong – that must rally us to action,” said Kathryn Folkl, NCC’s Director of North American Partnerships. “The Nature Conservancy of Canada is excited to sponsor Canada Night at the IOC, to share how science-based habitat conservation in Canada is saving our migratory birds and how you can help.”
Don’t forget that the Vancouver International Bird Festival runs throughout the Congress. We at Bird Studies Canada are pleased to be a partner of the festival, which will feature a range of workshops, walks, talks, and exhibitions, offering something for every bird lover!
Bird Studies Canada will continue to share updates as plans for the International Ornithological Congress and Vancouver International Bird Festival move forward. Please stay tuned!

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