International Ornithologists’ Union (IOU)

Presidential Address
Dear ornithologists, colleagues and friends,
I am extending a warm invitation to the 26th International
Ornithological Congress, which will be hosted by the Ornithological Society ofJapan and convened by Professor Keisuke Ueda. Japanese ornithology has
enjoyed a long and distinguished history in all areas of avian biology andmaintaining a wide international network of collaborative studies. The host andsponsors of the 26th International Ornithological Congress are committed toenable as many avian biologists and ornithologists to attend the congress andpresent their studies.
International ornithological congresses have a long history ofintegrating all branches of science, from basic research in physiology,
morphology, and molecular biology, to applied research in conservation, medicine, and agriculture, because
birds are the experimental vertebrates of choice when trying to find answers to problems in these variousareas. Birds have conquered all of the Earth’s biomes; their body sizes range from the tiniest hummingbird to
the enormous moas, and they share diurnality, color vision, visual and vocal communication, and threedimensional space with us humans. Therefore, international ornithological congresses have maintained theirunique position as “one-stop” events where it is possible to survey and integrate the latest advances in a great
variety of scientific disciplines and to make new conceptual and professional connections. Ornithology also
enjoys the distinction of attracting a large and increasing number of amateurs who are interested andinvolved in various research projects, and the 26th International Ornithological Congress will include
programs that will be of interest to both professional and amateur ornithologists.
The 26th International Ornithological Congress will also offer a variety of pre-congress and postcongress tours, which will be accompanied by expert ornithologists, to destinations that are of special
interest to ornithologists and often outside the more easily accessible spots.
For all the reasons mentioned, I hope that you will attend the 26th International Ornithological
Congress and join me in welcoming the congress participants from all corners of the world.

Professor Dr. Franz Bairlein
President, 26th International Ornithological Congress, Tokyo 2014
President, International Ornithologists’ Union, 2010-2014
President: Professor Dr. Franz Bairlein, Germany
Vice-President: Professor Dr. Lucia Severinghaus, Taiwan
Secretary: Professor Dr. Dominique G. Homberger, USA
Treasurer: Professor Dr. Thomas Sherry, USA
Past-President: Professor Dr. John C. Wingfield, USA
Honorary President: Professor Dr. Tsukasa Nakamura (Japan)

Messages from 26th IOC Committee

Prof. Dominique Homberger
Secretary of the International Ornithologists' Union

Dear Colleagues and Fellow Ornithologists,

I am looking forward to seeing you at the 26th International
Ornithological Congress in Tokyo in August 2014.? The idea for anIOCongress was conceived in the late 1980s, and planning started in 2000
at the Scientific Program Committee meeting for the 23rd IOCongress inBeijing.? During my visit in Tokyo in 2008, I was impressed by theavailable facilities and support at the beautiful campus of Rykkio
University, the variety of affordable and comfortable hotels in thesurrounding Ikebukuro District with its main railway station (with a direct line to and from Narita airport),the many restaurants with great Japanese food, the absolute safety of the streets, the possibilities for birdwatching in Tokyo’s parks, and our wonderful Japanese colleagues and knowledgeable bird-watchers, whoare convening the IOCongress.

The 2014 IOCongress will be the 10th IOCongress, which I have attended.?The IOCongresses are very
special events, which uniquely bring together ornithologists from all corners of the World.? I know of noother international congress that moves its venues from one continent to the other, attracts ?participantsfrom all continents (and at least partly supports some of them), and presents contributions from all fields ofbiology dealing with birds, from anatomy to ecology, migration, paleontology, physiology, andzoogeography (to name just a few areas).? It is through the IOCongresses that I have built some of myclosest and most enduring collaborations with colleagues in Australia, Africa, South America, Russia, andIndia.? I am certain that other participants have had similar experiences.? As our scientific community isbecoming more global, with some of the fastest growth in ornithology occurring in Asia and South America,
and as science is becoming more integrative and collaborative, the 26th International Ornithological
Congress and future IOCongresses are perfectly positioned to support the interests and aspirations ofornithologists the world over.

Prof. Erik Matthysen
Chair of the Scientific Program Committee
Dear colleagues and friends ornithologists,

The International Ornithological Congress has a strong tradition of bringing
together the latest and best research on birds, with a mixture of review papers
presenting an overview of their field, and topical contributions on recentfindings. I am fully confident that the 26th IOC in Tokyo 2014 will continue thistradition and provide not only a highly enjoyable but also a scientificallyrewarding environment, where we can meet, share ideas and insights, andstrengthen our collaborations in the global science that ornithology has always been.

I therefore warmly welcome you to attend the 26th International Ornithological Congress and encourage
you to submit your research for symposia talks, oral contributions and posters. Please consult the website
www.ioc26.jp for all further information

Prof. Keisuke Ueda
Congress Convener
Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the 26th International Ornithological Congress, which will be held inTokyo, Japan in the summer of 2014. Ornithology is developing rapidly andleading all levels of biology from ecosystems to molecules. The scientific andconservational activities have been advancing in Asia as well as in the world.
Japanese nature and culture are also unique and wonderful.

The congress will be a great opportunity for all the participants to discuss on avian biology and to enjoy thenature and culture in Japan and the neighboring areas.