Liz is now retired and much
as she misses it, she is no longer taking new clients or lecturing.
However, she decided to leave her biography on her website so interested
parties can judge her experience with regards to purchasing one of her
books,
HANDBOOK OF AVIAN ARTICLES Vol. I
& II.
You can also keep up with Liz with her monthly columns and occasional
articles in Bird Talk Magazine
and on the Northern Parrots website. (See below for more info about both.)
Also, while Liz is unable to
answer private messages requesting behavior advice, she would be pleased
to refer those who have questions to her experienced and trusted
colleagues who still work as professional parrot behavior consultants.
Liz Wilson, a certified veterinary
technician and certified parrot behavior consultant, has been living and
working with parrots for over 40 years, with 20 years of experience as a
veterinary technician specializing in avian and exotic animal nursing. Her
current feathered companion is a 60++ year-old female blue and gold macaw
named Sam, who has shared Liz's life for 40 years.
With prior training in elementary
education and psychology, Liz started working with behavior in companion
parrots in 1989, over 20 years ago. She gained recognition internationally
as a parrot behavior consultant thanks to her lectures, seminars,
freelance writing and consultations with parrot owners. An experienced and
entertaining speaker, she did extensive lecturing with avian veterinary
conferences, avicultural conferences, companion parrot conferences, and
bird clubs both here in the USA and in Europe.
She has written extensively for
Bird Talk Magazine and
Birds USA, as
well as the Amazona
Quarterly,
the Original Flying Machine,
the Pet Bird Report, and
Parrots Magazine. She has been writing the “Parrot
Psychology” column in Bird Talk
Magazine since 2001 and she has written extensively for the
Northern Parrots website, as well as
participating in their lively Q&A column. Her articles have been published
in Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, China,
Sweden and Russia.
In addition to numerous veterinary
articles published in the Journal of
the American Veterinary Medical Association [JAVMA], the
Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery
[JAMS], and the Journal of Exotic Pet
Medicine, she has written or co-authored eight veterinary
textbook chapters, including two for Dr. Greg Harrison's
CLINICAL AVIAN MEDICINE
(SPIX Publishing),
and three for the
MANUAL OF PARROT BEHAVIOR edited by Dr. Andrew Luescher (Blackwell
Publishing). In addition, she has two books of article reprints, the
HANDBOOK OF AVIAN ARTICLES Vol. I
& II.
Both books can be ordered through this website but be advised that only
limited copies are still available.
Due to her
devotion to helping parrots through helping colleagues (and herself) learn
more about parrot behavior and working with parrot owners, she founded the
Association of Parrot Behavior Professionals in 2001; in 2005, she moved
this organization into the International
Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
where it
became the Parrot Division. She served the IAABC as the Parrot Division
Chair, as well as the Treasurer, and holding a position on the Board of
Directors for three years. Despite her retirement, she has remained active
with the organization.
She is also
dedicated to parrot welfare, education and helping re-home parrots when
needed. In this capacity, she is honored to have been the Education Vice
President of the Phoenix
Landing Foundation
since 2004. She is also a member of the Parrot
Education and Adoption Center
and serves on the adoption committees for both the San Diego, CA and
Anchorage, AK chapters of PEAC.
Despite no
longer working directly with veterinarians, she continues her membership
of the
Association of Avian
Veterinarians,
of which she has been a member since (she thinks) 1984. In addition to her
work with parrot behavior, she was an adjunct faculty member in the
veterinary technician department at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, PA for a
decade. She also worked extensively with wildlife rehabilitation for seven
years.
She and her
husband David Hearn have now retired to her father’s old house on a
barrier island off the Georgia coast, where she watches the incredible
variety of wildlife from every window of their home.
Life is
good.
