AAV expands virtual bird medicine CE, plans 2026 Austin conference

The Association of Avian Veterinarians is pushing two pieces of news that matter well beyond the conference circuit: its 8-hour virtual bird medicine program has just wrapped and will land in on-demand form in mid-June, and planning is already underway for a larger fall meeting in Austin. For parrot keepers, that means the professionals who diagnose crop problems, feather issues, and anesthesia risks are still getting fresh training without waiting a year for the next in-person gathering.

AAV Avian Medicine Virtual 2026 was built as a RACE-approved online program, with sessions posted in the online classroom in mid-June 2026. Early Bird registration ran through May 1, and the organization kept the pricing the same for live and on-demand access, a practical move for clinicians who cannot leave a clinic, shelter, or university schedule for a full trip. The format matters because it lets bird-focused veterinarians and technicians keep up with current medicine in smaller, usable chunks instead of losing the education window altogether.

The bigger in-person event is the 47th Annual AAV Conference & Expo, set for October 2 through 5, 2026, at the Renaissance Austin Hotel, 9721 Arboretum Blvd, Austin, Texas 78759. The program will offer more than 25 hours of continuing education, three concurrent tracks, masterclasses, and a technician track. AAV is also advertising a discounted group room rate of $209 per night plus taxes, with the booking deadline set for September 8, 2026. The conference is positioned as a place to hear about new technologies, procedures, therapies, diagnostics, and products while networking with colleagues and vendors, which is the kind of pipeline that eventually shows up in better protocols at the bird clinic counter.

AAV also highlighted scholarship work that could shape the next generation of bird-care professionals. Dr. Sofia La Rocca and Cecilia Bartels were named as conference scholarship recipients, and Bartels is a first-year DVM student at Rowan University’s Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine who works part-time at an avian and exotic animal practice in Philadelphia, where she helps with anesthesia, diagnostics, and client education. The new Technician/Tech Student Conference Scholarship is valued at about $1,500 and covers conference registration, one lab, four nights of lodging, and a travel stipend of up to $500, with applications due April 1 and notices out by May 1. Founded in 1980, incorporated in Massachusetts in 1982, and granted 501(c)(3) status in 1983, AAV now says it has more than 1,700 members, and that educational reach is exactly why this month’s update matters when you are looking for the next jump in parrot care.