On August 8, 1997 the International Conure Association (I.C.A.) was formed by those conure lovers who were able to attend the AFA convention in San Antonio. At that meeting the By-Laws were ratified and the first officers were elected.

Conures have in recent years, become more popular among parrot lovers. However, our conure friends are still often either ignored or put down by the owners of larger, more showy and less vocal birds. The International Conure Association has been formed by a group of people interested in sharing our knowledge and love of that wonderful group of birds called Conures.

For its members,

I.C.A. will send information quarterly, set up so that you can easily keep it in a standard 3 ring notebook. If you wish to sell something you can advertise for a small fee. If you are looking to buy, its free.

I.C.A. will keep a database of those persons willing to have their names, and phone numbers given out to those seeking information or looking to buy the type of bird they have.

I.C.A. recognizes that there is also a concern that some of our beloved conures may be lost to us in the near future. As you may know we can no longer take birds from the wild and import them into the U.S. and that it is difficult to transport them from one country to another even if they are captive bred. For that reason we need to manage the breeder birds that we have very carefully so that future generations can enjoy them as much as we do. This is why I hope you will fill out the enclosed census of what kind of conures you have. From this information, we hope to find out which species are in the most need of help. The plan is to start stud books on those conures whose numbers are so small that they are in danger of being in-bred. By tracing bloodlines and keeping records, I.C.A. can help people find unrelated birds when they want to set up pairs for breeding.

As well as filling out the census, I hope each member will write something for the publication. Anything from a diet tip, a funny story, or a picture to a detailed article. Your experience is valuable, share it if you can. Send all articles to PO Box 70123, Las Vegas, NV 89170.

Sandi Brennan