About Us
David Longo was born and raised in Toronto and Mississauga Ontario. David has been actively involved with birds since he was six years old, first successfully breeding zebra finches when he was 11. This was the same little boy you saw walking home with the baby Robin that fell from its nest to bring home to cut up worms and insects to feed and raise.His enthusiasm with these amazing encounters with fascinating animals engaged him to search for more interaction with birds and started working for the retail pet industry when he was 18 where he has to date raised and cared for over 150 different species of psittacines and dozens of other species of passerines and galliformes through this and within his own collection. He acquired his first large parrot at the age of 20 and has to date amassed over 200 pairs of approximately 100 different species of parrots. In 2004 he moved to Meaford, Ontario to expand this operation in an appropriate oxygen rich setting.
David's main interest lies in rare species of birds that are in need of preservation due to their dwindling status in aviculture and throughout their native habitat. David has internships and assistants help with daily operations throughout the season for the birds.
David's interests lie with many other families of exotic animals as well as birds. He also attended the University of Guelph for Ornithology, Zoology and Marine Biology. His experience in relation to this has kept and bred numerous types of marine and tropical freshwater fish as well as reptiles for over a decade including 10 species of snakes, 4 species of chameleons, 11 species of geckos, 13 species of turtles, tortoises and even reproduced poison (D.auratus) arrow frogs in 1990.
In recent years he has been humanely relocating thousands of birds to zoological and private institutions working with foreign governments in over 18 countries on nearly every continent since 1998. Further, he has reproduced on several counts the most difficult and challenging species of Macaws, Conures and Toucans many struggle to accomplish. So far he has achieved two Canadian first breeding awards and one N.American first. Along with this, his experiences have been published and contributed toward over 20 articles and scientific papers.
These challenges are what deeply motivates his desire in aviculture to contribute where the field is lacking. David is actively involved in lecturing at bird clubs, several organizations and avicultural communities around the globe. He also acquired a partnership with friend Myles Lamont who also has a considerable role in the avian community and both propelled the continuation of the International Symposium on Breeding Birds in Captivity (www.isbbc.org) which has brought together aviculturists from over 35 countries to share valuable knowledge in one forum.
For his young age David's accomplishments are lengthy and continues to be a dedicated aviculturist and conservationist who will have the welfare of every other species come before man. David feels it is most important that us as aviculturists and breeders must share valuable information to ensure successful captive propagation of rarer species by relieving the pressure of wild caught specimens to continue the enthusiasm and enjoyment of caring for these amazing birds in our care for future generations!