ZO 501 Ornithology - Spring 2012


Ornithology Course Information

Course Description

Lecture Syllabus

Grading Information

Attendance and Assignments

Items on Reserve


Course Description

ZO 501 ORNITHOLOGY. Preqs.: ZO 201 or 303; BO 360 or ZO260. The biology of birds, including evolution, functional morphology, physiology, ecology and behavior. Field and museum laboratories emphasize particular aspects of morphology, ecology and behavior, as well as taxonomy and identification. One coastal weekend field trip required.

Our goal for this course is to build a foundation of knowledge about birds in a way that will stimulate you to keep learning about them for the rest of your life. Our approach will be to focus primarily on the behavior and ecology of birds and the development of field skills. Lectures will amplify material from the text Ornithology, Third Edition, by Frank B. Gill as well as outside readings and examples from the instructors' personal research.

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Lecture Syllabus

The syllabus provides a summary of lecture topics, lab activities, assigned readings and assignment due dates. Friday morning lab topics, meeting locations, and field trip times and locations are included. The syllabus is subject to revision during the semester. Check the course web page for updates as well as announcements and details about labs and field trips.

Date Day Topic Chapters Readings

Notes

Deadlines
1/9 M Course Overview    

 
1/11 W Classification, Evolution, Origin of Birds 1,2,3

4WingedDinoSummary.pdf

4WingedDino.pdf

Chapters 1-3

 
1/16 M Holiday  

 

 
1/18 W Sampling and Detection Probability  

How You Count

Measurement Error

Rosenstock et al. Auk 2002

Detection Probability

Detection Flow Chart

 
1/23 M Flight - Anatomy, Form and Function
Feathers
4  

Chapter 4

 
1/25 W Flight 5 Power Curves and Bird Flight.pdf

Frigatebird Flight Performance.pdf

Chapter 5

 
1/30 M Physiology 6  

Chapter 6a

 
2/1 W Feeding I 6  

Chapter 6b

 
2/6 M Feeding II   Epigenetics Notes (optional)    
2/8 W Senses, brain, vision 7

Birds and Chili Peppers

UV Vision in Birds.pdf

Chapter 7

 
2/13 M EXAM I    

 
2/15 W Vocalizations 8  

Chapter 8

 
2/20 M  Annual Cycles 9  

Chapter 9

 
2/22 W Migration

 

10

 

Albatross Data Loggers.pdf

Migrants and Stable Isotopes.pdf

Stutchbury Science 2009.pdf

Migration double breeding.pdf

Chapter 10

 
2/27 M Orientation, & Navigation 10

Cochran 1.pdf

Cochran2.pdf

Allerstam.pdf

Migrant Memory.pdf

Chapter 10

Monitoring program critique

due

2/29 W Social Behavior 11 Grubb Winter Flocks.pdf

Chapter 11

 
3/5 M Spring Break        
3/7 W Spring Break        
3/12 M Mates and Breeding Systems 12,13 Bowerbird Illusions

Chapters 12,13

 
3/14 W Reproduction 14  

Chapter 14

 
3/19 M Nests and Incubation 15  

Chapter 15

 
3/21 W Scientific Writing   Example (to be posted)   Self-evaluation
3/26 M Parental Care Brood Parasitism Cooperative Breeding 16

Mafia Cowbirds

Chapter 16a

 
3/28 W Growth and Development 16  

Chapter 16b

 
4/2 M EXAM II    

 
4/4

W

Demography 17

TREE Clutch Size.pdf

Chapters 17&18

 
4/9 M Populations 18

Martin Clutch Size.pdf

Ricklefs 2000.pdf

Scientific paper critique

due

4/11 W  Species
and Communities
19,20  

Chapters 19 & 20

 
4/16 M Conservation: Legislation, Major Principles 21

Extinction in Birds.pdf

Umbrella Species.pdf

Birding in the US (optional)

Chapter 21

 
4/18 W Conservation: Neotropical Migrants, Marine Birds, Shorebirds  

Robbins.pdf

Wilcove Artificial Nest.pdf

State of the Birds

Neotropical Migrants

Marine Birds

 
4/23 M Alaskan Adventure!        
4/25 W In Class
Identification Test
       
5/2 W Final Exam
08:00 - 11:00
       

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Grading Information

Click on assignment names to see instructions and guidelines for completing assignments.

Grading will be based on the percentage of a possible 500 points earned in the course according to the following:

97%-100%
A+
93%-96%
A
90%-92%
A-
87%-89%
B+
83%-86%
B
80%-82%
B-
77%-79%
C+
73%-76%
C
70%-72%
C-
67%-69%
D+
63%-66%
D
60%-62%
D-
.
Points will be distributed as follows:
Exams
Mid-term Exam I
75
Mid-term Exam II
75
Final Exam
100
250
Lab
Lab Identification Test
25
Field Identification Test
25
25
.
75
   
10
   
Monitoring program critique 20
   
Scientific paper critique 20
 
Lab Field Project
Project proposal
5
Introduction/lit cited 10
Methods/Analysis
Results and data summary
5
10
Discussion and abstract 10
Final poster content 40
Final poster presentation 20
100
 
Class Participation
25
 
TOTAL
500
 
Extra Credit
25
25
50

Attendance and Assignments

Attendance at lectures, labs, and the coastal field trip is mandatory. One unexcused absence is permitted without penalty. Each additional unexcused absence will result in a penalty of 10 points. Assignments will be accepted up to one week after the due date. Late assignments will be assessed a penalty of 20%. No assignments will be accepted later than one week past the due date.

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Items on Reserve

(If any of the items are unavailable at the library, check with Dr. Simons or the TA as Dr. Simons has extra copies of some of the items in his lab.)

Videos

The Impossible Bird: A 1982 video, 25 minutes: A chronicle of the activities of ostriches:  QL696.S9 .I46 1983

The Legend of the Lightning Bird: A 1984 video, 55 minutes: Follows the life cycles of the hammerkop, the Egyptian Stork, and the kestrel:  QL673 .L49 1984

Lords of the Air: A 1982 video, Life on Earth Series #8, 52 minutes: Examines the uses and advantages of feathers:  QH327 .L54 1988

Why do Birds Sing?: A 1982 video, Life on Earth Series #12, 52 minutes: Examines migration and the factors that guide birds as they migrate:  QL698.5. .W59 1976

Recordings

National Geographic Guide to Bird Sounds CD

Peterson’s Guide to Eastern Birds CD

Peterson’s Guide to Birding by Ear CD (3 copies; 2 CDs)

Stoke’s Guide to Bird Songs CD (2 copies; 2 CDs)

Books

Bird Census Techniques (Bibby, Burgess, and Hill):  QL677.5 .B53 1992

The Encyclopedia of Birds:  QL673 .E53 1985

Audubon Encyclopedia of North American Birds:  QL681 .T43 1980

The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds:  QL681 .B77 1994

The Audubon Society Master Guide to Birding, volume 3:  QL681 .A986 1983

A Birder's Guide to Coastal North Carolina:  QL684.N8 F87 1994

The Birder's Handbook: a Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds:  QL681 .E37 1988

The National Geographic Society's Field Guide to the Birds of North America:  QL681 .F53 1999

Manual of Ornithology:  QL697 .P76 1993

Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds:  QL681.P45 1947

Peterson First Guides: Birds:  QL681 .P46 1986

Birdwatcher's Guide to the Triangle: QL684 .N8 B57 2000

Reports

Tom Quay’s Thesis

 

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