Dale has been involved in 6 First Breedings , both world and US including the Giant Tinamou, Crimson-rumped Toucanet, Pale-manabled Aracari, Plate-billed Toucan, Black-capped (Pyrrhura) Conure, and the New Guinea subspecies of the Blood finch. Dale was chair of the Avy Awards Committee for the American Federation of Aviculture (AFA) which among other areas involved confirming US First Breeding nominations.

In 1992 Dale became the Director of the Hoffman's Conure Consortium which began with a total of 11birds. The Hoffman's Conure (Pyrrhura hoffmanni) originates from northern Panama and southern Costa Rica and a group of 36 birds were imported into the US in 1980. From 1980 to 1992, this group had dwindled down to just 11 individual birds. These Hoffman's Conures were the only legal birds to ever be held in captivity worldwide. Starting with three members and later enlarging to six members the Hoffman's Conure Consortium has increased the total population to over 100 individual birds. Over 75% of the birds are now being parent reared and records are maintained to give as much genetic diversity to this group of birds. One part of the Consortium's Mission Statement is to establish the Hoffman's Conure worldwide. By 1997 four countries internationally have been sent a minimum of three pairs of Hoffman's Conure.

While at the Los Angeles Zoo, beginning in 1971, Dale was directly involved in innovative techniques which made a breakthrough of the reproduction of the Ramphastidae family (toucans, toucanets and aracaris). In the very early stages using these techniques (the use of natural logs), the Los Angeles was involved is successfully reproducing three toucan species and having egg production in seven others. From 1973 to 1977, 36 Crimson-rumped Toucanets were successfully reared including a second generation breeding. In 1997 only a handful of these toucanets exist in the US. Presently Dale is doing the written portion of an art book on the toucan family that will be wonderfully illustrated by Gamini Ratnavira.

Dale has written a monthly column called the Nest Box for Bird Talk magazine (Fancy Publications) for over 14 years and is a feature writer on major articles in both Bird Talk an Bird Breeder. Dale has written over 80 papers for conventions, proceedings and seminars including a chapter on Softbill diets for the 1st edition of Dr. Murray Fowler's "Zoo and Wildlife Medicine" (1978) and was the translation coordinator for Thomas Arndt's book, "Parrots -Their Life in the Wild." Dale is presently the Editor-in-Chief of the AFA's publication called the Watchbird Magazine. Many of his articles and photographs can be seen in this publication over the past 24 years.

Dale developed the original soft diet for parrots, now known as Soak and Cook. The late Mike Magill coined the term Soak & Cook for this parrot diet in 1988. This diet contained a combination of soy beans, winter red wheat, paddy rice, peas and corn. These were only five of the main ingredients of Dale Thompson's original 9 ingredient diet developed at Aviculture Institute while working with Keven Flammer DVM. Dale still uses this diet but adds cooked canary seed, a good grade of pigeon mix, rolled corn and Pretty Bird's Breeders Select (medium) extruded diet. From 20% to 40% of the Pretty Bird diet is added which becomes very slightly soaked (still hard in the center) and the parrots thoroughly relish it and there is very little wastage. A recent packaging of this product is done by Flights of Fancy and is known as Soak, Heat & Serve.

Dale Thompson is a excellent photographer, not only in wildlife still photography but in wildlife cinematography with life-long partner George D. Dodge. This team has been together over 30 years and their material can be seen in Davis Wolper's "Bird's Do It; Bees Do It," Marty Stouffer's "Wild America," National Geographic and an ABC Kane Productions. Many color prints and posters of a fantastic variety of exotic birds can be seen at this Web site.

With experience in over 300 species of exotic birds with over 200 being successfully reproduced, Dale Thompson has a wealth of experience in all types of birds from ratites, pheasants and waterfowl, birds-of-prey, psittacines, finches and softbills. He has had experiences from documenting the juvenile molt of a Pigmy Falconet, handling a Harpy Eagle on his arm for two years to studying the many problems and solutions of cockatoo-mate trauma.

Dale has given talks and presentations worldwide from Australia, England, Panama, Loro Parque, Germany etc. He is always in high demand with the US and has spoke at many events including AFA, AAV (avian veterinarians), ASA, Zoos, Poultry seminars, Pediatric Seminars and many small clubs and societies. He taught the very first Aviculture class (11 weeks)in the US through the UCLA extension programs. He taught upper graduate guest classes at UC Davis Avian Sciences Program and over 25 years worked and taught six graders in an Outdoor Education Program in mountain settings. Dale has been to the tropics over 35 time and has traveled through many countries (Panama, Costa Rica, Equator, Australia, New Guinea) experiencing many adventures with native peoples, wild animals, poisonous snakes to mention a few. A wonderful story teller, Mr. Thompson has often spun stories for hours about Zoo animal escapes to jungle horror stories.

During any convention, whether in America or in foreign aviculture circles, Dale is well known to hold court for many hours straight fielding and answering a myriad of questions from people on hundreds of different aviculture subjects.

Dale Thompson now resides in the mild climates in an avocado orchard at the base of the foothills of the Sequoia National Forest is central California. He plans to extend his breeding efforts to include more softbills including many of the toucans, barbets, frogmouths, turacos, etc. His new facility will soon have a 30'W x 55'L x 20'H flight cage with a water fall and streams for the enjoyment of both people and birds.