Australasian Ornithological Conference

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Australasian Ornithological Conference

Many of BA's finest at AOC dinner © Chris Tzaros Birds Australia, in collaboration with the Ornithological Society of New Zealand, is committed to holding biennial conferences that provide a regular forum for the exchange of information and ideas between avian-based researchers and conservationists throughout the Australasian region. The conferences are held in a variety of venues to give attendees an opportunity to explore the diverse birdlife in the region. Students wishing to attend can apply for a Stuart Leslie Bird Research Award to cover travel costs to the conference.

AOC 2011 Cairns, Far North QLD

AOC-2011 The next conference will be held at the Cairns Campus of James Cook University in Tropical North Queensland from 28 September – 1 October 2011 with the opening reception and registration beginning on 28 September. You may also visit the JCU website for AOC 2011 registration and information.

Synopsis
The 2011 AOC will comprise 3 days of oral presentations with a pre-conference mixer and registration on Wednesday 28 September at 5.00 pm.

While symposia and contributed papers on any topic are encouraged, in keeping with the Far North Queensland location presentations aligning with the theme of Ornithology in the Tropics are particularly welcomed.

We are now calling for abstracts for both spoken and poster presentations.

Abstracts
Abstracts for contributed papers should be prepared using the set template, and submitted by 15 July 2011.

Student papers are particularly encouraged and student prizes will be awarded for both oral and poster presentations. Enquiries regarding abstract submission and completed abstracts should be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Advice to Authors
Delegates may submit abstracts for either spoken or poster presentations. Whether submissions are accepted as spoken presentations will be at the discretion of the organising committee.

There will be 15 minutes allocated to spoken papers, 12 minutes maximum for the presentation with 3 minutes for questions and changeover. Timings will be strictly supervised by session chairs so that audience members can move between parallel sessions.

A separate poster session with refreshments will be held on the afternoon of Friday 30 September. Poster authors will be present to discuss their work during this session. Posters should be a maximum size of A0 (84.1 x 118.9 cm) with A0 sized posters being in portrait format.

Symposia
Symposium will comprise 5 x 12 min concurrent spoken presentations on a single theme. Symposia organisers will propose a specific theme and contact and liaise with prospective presenters to insure consistency of theme and full subscription to their proposed topic. To register interest in being a symposium organiser contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Events

Pre conference mixer & registration (included in registration fees) the evening of 28 September at the Boathouse on the Cairns Campus - JCU.
Conference dinner (additional to registration fees) held on Thursday 29 September (7.00 – 9.30pm) at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and will include a dance performance by the world famous Tjapukai dancers.
Pre- and Post-conference field-trips (responsibility of delegates). Options listed below.

Costs
James Cook University's preferred payment method is by Visa or Mastercard. If you prefer to pay by cheque/money order please use the paper registration form.

Early bird full registration paid by 15 July 2011 – $350
Full registration paid by 9 September 2011 – $450
Early bird student registration paid by 15 July 2011 – $180
Full student registration paid by 9 September 2011 – $250
Conference dinner and dance performance (including drinks and bus transfers) – $80. Guests are most welcome to attend
Trade registration – Businesses interested in sponsoring this event or displaying trade materials should address enquiries to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Registration
All registrations are being handled by JCU. Birds Australia is not involved in registration for the the 2011 AOC. Online registration is available.

Alternatively, a registration form can also be downloaded here, completed and faxed to AOC 2011 at +61 7 4042-1319, or returned to AOC 2011, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns QLD 4870.

Refund Policy
The following is a guide only. Refunds are at the discretion of the organising committee and no discussion will be entered into.

A full refund will be given for requests received by 31 July, less $30 administration fee
A 50% refund will be given for requests received between 1 – 31 August
Refund requests received after 31 August will not be considered

Transport
Bus transfers (included in registration fees)
The Cairns Campus of JCU is ~15km from the Cairns CBD and ~6km from the Trinity Beach tourist area. During the conference and also for specific conference events, bus transfers will be provided for delegates from a number of recommended accommodation options in these areas. Delegates choosing alternative accommodation will also be able to access these transfers at the same central locations. Timetables and specific locations for these transfers will be provided

Accommodation
It is the responsibility of delegates to arrange their own accommodation. A list of suggested accommodation options in the Cairns CBD and at Trinity Beach can be downloaded here. Additional accommodation can also be found on the Cairns accommodation website.

Pre and Post Conference Tours
Pre and post conference tours are not included as part of the AOC-2011 conference program or registration. However, there are a range of commercial tour and self-drive options available.

Specifically, we have organised a full three day post-conference tour with Alan’s Wildlife tours, for the exclusive enjoyment of AOC conference delegates. This high-profile tour will concentrate primarily on the endemic birds of north Queensland, but will also exposure delegates to the mammals and spectacular scenery of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Shorter one day pre-conference tours are also available.

In addition, there are a range of other local bird tours, local bird guides and self-drive options available for the Cairns Coastal, Daintree and Tablelands regions using bird and birder friendly accommodation operated by sponsors of the AOC-2011 conference, including the famous Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers' Lodge at Julatten. Detailed information and links to these options can be found at the “Birding Tropical Australia” web site.

Contact
Dr Brad Congdon, Organising Committee Chairman
Tel: 07 4042 1086
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Web: http://www.jcu.edu.au/events/eventscns/JCUPRD1_068377.html

Everyone welcome.

Student Prize sponsors

Past AOC Conferences

Stuart Cooney and the Hooded Parrot © Chris Tzaros Those interested in finding out more about the conferences and the cutting edge research and conservation topics presented at them can download abstracts from previous events.