Ornithologists and volunteers wearing birds costumes while standing on stilts paraded at the opening of the International Ornithological Congress in Vancouver, Canada on Monday. /VCG Photo

Highlights of the convention from August 22 to 25 include the Stars of the Bird World Speaker Series, more than 50 bird tours and a collection of almost 700 paintings of endangered birds. /VCG Photo

It's the first time that the congress, a global gathering of highly respected bird scientists held every four years, has been held in Canada since the 1980s. /VCG Photo