ZO 501 Ornithology - Spring 2009
Ornithology Course Information
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.
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 |
| 1/7 | W | Course Overview | ||||
| 1/12 | M | Classification, Evolution, Origin of Birds | 1,2,3 | |||
| 1/14 | W | Sampling and Detection Probability | ||||
| 1/19 | M | Holiday | ||||
| 1/21 | W | Snow Day! | ||||
| 1/26 | M | Flight - Anatomy, Form and Function Feathers |
4 | |||
| 1/28 | W | Flight | 5 | Power Curves and Bird Flight.pdf | ||
| 2/2 | M | Physiology and feeding I | 6 | |||
| 2/4 | W | Physiology and feeding II | 6 | |||
| 2/9 | M | Senses, brain, vision | 7 | |||
| 2/11 | W | Vocalizations | 8 | |||
| 2/16 | M | Annual Cycles | 9 | Monitoring paper critique due | ||
| 2/18 | W | EXAM I | ||||
| 2/23 | M | Migration | 10
|
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| 2/25 | W | Orientation, & Navigation | 10 | |||
| 3/2 | M | Spring Break | ||||
| 3/4 | W | Spring Break | ||||
| 3/9 | M | Social Behavior | 11 | Grubb Winter Flocks.pdf | ||
| 3/11 | W | Mates and Breeding Systems; | 12,13 | |||
| 3/16 | M | Reproduction | 14 | Scientific paper critique due | ||
| 3/18 | W | Nests and Incubation | 15 | |||
| 3/23 | M | Parental Care Brood Parasitism Cooperative Breeding | 16 | |||
| 3/25 | W | Growth and Development | 16 | |||
| 3/30 | M | EXAM II | ||||
| 4/1 | W | Demography | 17 | |||
| 4/6 | M | Populations | 18 | |||
| 4/8 | W | Species and Communities |
19,20 | |||
| 4/13 | M | Conservation: Legislation, Major Principles | 21 | |||
| 4/15 | W | Conservation: Neotropical Migrants | ||||
| 4/20 | M | Conservation: Marine Birds/Shorebirds | State of the Birds | |||
| 4/22 | W | Identification Test | ||||
| 4/27 | M | Final Exam: 08:00am-11:00am |
Grading Information
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 |
50 |
Mid-term Exam II |
50 |
Final Exam |
150 |
| . | 250 |
Lab |
|
Identification Test |
15 |
Field Identification Test |
15 |
| 20 | |
| . | 50 |
Detectability lab write-up |
10 |
| Monitoring program critique | 20 |
| Scientific paper critique | 20 |
| Field Project | |
| Project proposal |
5 |
| Introduction/lit cited | 15 |
| Methods/Analysis Results and data summary |
15 15 |
| Discussion and abstract | 15 |
| Final paper | 15 |
| Final presentation | 20 |
| 100 | |
Class Participation |
50 |
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 20 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.
Items on Reserve
Videos at the Media Center:
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
Other at the Reserve Desk:
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
Reports
Tom Quay’s Thesis (PDF) - A higher-quality version of this document will be online soon.