The International Ornithologists’ Union (IOU), which has convened the world’s largest summits on avian biology since its first congress in 1884, will partner with the University of KwaZulu-Natal to organize the 28th IOCongress®, 15 – 19 Aug. 2022 which will take place virtually.

A virtual IOCongress will provide a platform where ornithologists can fully participate without having to travel. All symposium and oral presentations, posters, workshops, round table discussions, and exhibits will be accessible regardless of their location. This will allow participation in any part of the IOCongress at any time, removing the usual limitations of parallel sessions and lack of time to see and take part in everything of interest at the conference.

Professor Colleen T. Downs, National Research Foundation SARChI Research Chair, Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, will serve as convenor for the event, appointed by Professor Dominique G. Homberger, IOU president and alumni professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.