Meeting Information

Most MCBA bird club meetings feature speakers discussing various aspects of aviculture - bird behavior, health care, breeding, conservation, environmental issues, nutrition, and more. Two meetings per year feature fundraisers with pot luck food, fun and a casual atmosphere. We schedule several national and international bird-related speakers each year to inform and entertain our members. To help cover the costs of these special programs, we sometimes have to charge a small additional admission fee for both members and visitors.

Meeting Location, Date, & Time

The Minnesota Companion Bird Association meets at the St. Paul Sheet Metal Worker's Association Meeting Hall, 1681 East Cope Avenue, Maplewood, Minnesota.

Meeting Protocol

All members, guests, and visitors must sign in upon entering the meeting hall. After a short social period, meetings are called to order for announcements about MCBA events and other topics. The main program (1 - 3 hours) follows these announcements. Members are responsible for setting up and taking down chairs and tables. Help from people who can come early and/or stay late is greatly appreciated. Children are always welcome, but parents are expected to remind them to remain quiet during the presentation. There is no smoking allowed in the facility.

Visitors

The MCBA loves to have visitors join us at our bird club meetings! Visitors and guests of members may attend one meeting free of charge, but must pay an admission fee of $3.00 per meeting (More when there is an out-of-town speaker) thereafter, should they choose not to join by that time.

Birds at Meetings

The Minnesota Companion Bird Association (MCBA) has long been committed to providing the best information and education possible for companion birds and their owners. We understand that many of our members take great pleasure in bringing their birds to MCBA functions for socializing.

However, we also know that there are many serious avian diseases, both viral and bacterial, that are commonly spread via contact with contaminated products, clothing, shoes and hands, as well as by contact with infected birds. Some of these diseases are zoonotic, which means that they can also be spread to humans. It is a fact that infected birds can be shedding these diseases while not exhibiting any outward signs of illness. Even if birds have tested free of disease in the past, it does not guarantee that they have not been exposed to a virus more recently. False positive/negative results are common in the testing protocols for diseases affecting psittacines. There are few effective treatments and vaccines available for many of these avian diseases.

Therefore, for the protection of our members and their birds it is the position of the Minnesota Companion Bird Association that avian species in general, and psittacine species in particular, should not routinely attend the organization’s functions. We will not prevent our members from bringing their healthy birds to our meetings, but we do want everyone to be aware that there are many serious risks in allowing birds from various flocks to be together. For everyone’s protection we will not allow obviously sick birds to enter the meeting hall.

The MCBA encourages you to consult your avian veterinarian for further information and guidance about this issue.

Commercial Tables

Several of our commercial members have tables set up at MCBA meetings to sell their products. Products available have included: bird food and treats, parrot toys, bird-safe household products, play gyms, perches, air filters, bird art items, clothing, cages, magazines, books, pet photography, grooming services, pet carriers, and much more.