Difference between revisions of "Field Ornithology"

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<span style="font-size: x-large">EEB 3898: Field Methods in Ornithology
 
<span style="font-size: x-large">EEB 3898: Field Methods in Ornithology
  
'''Intensive Summer Session 1, June 8th - 26th, 2009''' '''MTWThF'''  
+
'''Intensive Summer Session, May 11th - 29th, 2015'''
  
Instructor: '''[mailto:diego.sustaita@uconn.edu Diego Sustaita]'''
+
'''Meets:''' M-F, 7:30 am to 11:30 am, TLS 371
  
Office: Biol/Pharm 404
 
  
Phone: 860-486-0309
+
Instructor: '''[mailto:kevin.burgio@uconn.edu Kevin Burgio]'''
  
Office hours: variable & flexible (call, email, drop by)
+
Office: Biol/Pharm 402
  
 +
Email: kevin.burgio@uconn.edu
 +
 +
Office hours: variable & flexible (email, drop by)
 +
 +
Website: [http://www.monkparakeetresearch.org UConn Monk Parakeet Research]
  
<span style="font-size: large"><font color="#FF3300">Announcements</font></span>
 
<br/>
 
<font color="#FF3300">• '''22 June''': Updates to schedule</font>
 
  
  
 
'''Course Objectives'''
 
'''Course Objectives'''
  
• Acquire bird identification skills
+
Upon completion of this course, students will be proficient in taking field notes, basic bird anatomy, song structure, and identification skills needed to accurately identify bird species. Students will have instruction and experience in the following: bird survey design, the most commonly used bird census methods, and field-based behavioral observation. Lastly, students will be introduced to current statistical approaches used to analyze data collected in the field.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
'''Course Materials'''
 +
[[Image:Binos.jpg| right]]
 +
 
 +
'''Required'''
 +
 
 +
1. The Sibley Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America
 +
 
 +
2. Bibby CJ, Burgess ND, Hill DA, Mustoe S, editors. 2000. Bird census techniques. San Diego, USA: Academic Press
 +
 
 +
3. Binoculars (available from us if you don’t have any)
 +
 
 +
4. Field notepad/notebook ({{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/b/b4/Field_Notebook_Guidelines_2013.pdf}} Basic guidelines)
 +
 
 +
5. Closed-toe shoes (no sandals) or hiking boots, & proper outdoor clothing (you may encounter poison ivy, ticks and biting insects, and/or bad weather)
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended'''
 +
 
 +
1. Sibley’s Birding Basics
 +
 
 +
2. Peterson's Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America
  
• Learn basic field research techniques, study design, and data analysis
+
3. Insect repellent (ticks, mosquitoes)
  
• Develop basic understanding of local bird biology & ecology
+
4. Sunscreen
  
Tentativeschedule:
+
'''Tentative schedule - Note that because so much of what we do depends on the weather, the schedule is very subject to change!'''
  
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"  
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"  
Line 40: Line 63:
 
!style="background:" width="300"|Topic
 
!style="background:" width="300"|Topic
 
|-  
 
|-  
| M 08 || Course introduction; Bird identification [Sibley introduction] || M 15|| Exam 1; Point count activity
+
| M 11 || Course introduction and timeline; Bird identification (Optics, Guides and Notes)
|| M 22 || Capture/banding activity [{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/silkeyetal1999.pdf}}Silkeye et al. 1999]; Exam 2
+
|| M 18 || Survey of local birds; notebooks (First Submission)
 +
|| M 25 || Independent project data collection (Final); data analysis
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
| T 09 || Survey of local birds; Primer of avian ecology [{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/macarthur1958.pdf}}MacArthur 1958]
+
 
|| T 16 || Territory mapping lec [Manuwal & Carey 1991 pgs. 14-17/{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/ortega%26capen1999.pdf}}Ortega & Cappen 1999]; Territory mapping activity (I)
+
| T 12 || Topography and Field Marks Feet, Beaks and Body Form; Field exercises; Start projects 
|| T 23 || Data analysis lab I: Density estimation [{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/thomasetal2002.pdf}}Thomas et al. 2002]
+
|| T 19 || Individual project presentations
 +
|| T 26 || Survey of coastal birds
 
|-  
 
|-  
| W 10 || Survey of local birds
+
 
|| W 17 || Radiotelemetry activity [{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/chapt7.pdf}}Chapt. 7: Radio telemetry and bird movements]
+
| W 13 || Field research techniques, hypotheses testing, study design, and data analysis
|| W 24 || Habitat measurement lec [{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/bibbyetal1985.pdf}}Bibby et al. 1985]; Habitat meas activity
+
|| W 20 || '''MIDTERM EXAM'''
 +
|| W 27 || Survey of local birds. Field notebooks (Final Submission)
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Th 11 || Census techniques: Study design & line transects lec [{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/manuwal%26carey1991.pdf}}Manuwal & Carey 1991 pgs. 9-11; {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/andersonetal.1979.pdf}}Anderson et al. 1979]; Line transect activity
 
|| Th 18 || Radiotelemetry activity (cont'ed) 
 
  
|| Th 25 || Survey of coastal birds [{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/craig%26beal1992.pdf}}Craig & Beal 1992]
+
| Th 14 || Survey of local birds, Review, Project guidelines discussion and selection
+
|| Th 21 || Individual project data collection I (Methods adjustment)
 +
|| Th 28 || Review session in preparation for the final;
 
|-  
 
|-  
| F 12 || Point count/transect lec [Manuwal & Carey 1991 pgs. 11-14;{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/reynoldsetal1980.pdf}}Reynolds et al. 1980]
 
|| F 19 || Behavioral obs. lec [{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/greenetal1996.pdf}}Green et al. 1996]; Behavioral obs activity; Territory mapping activity (II)
 
  
|| F 26 || Data analysis lab II: Habitat structure, diversity, & community analysis [Stiling, Chapt.16; {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/macarthur%26macarthur1961.pdf}}MacArthur & MacArthur 1961]; Instructor evaluations; Final exam
+
| F 15 || Banding demo(?)
 +
|| F 22 || Individual project data collection II (Assisted)
 +
|| F 29 || FINAL EXAM; Instructor evaluations
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
</span>     
 
</span>     
 
|}
 
|}
Note: Schedule is subject to change pending weather conditions, or unforeseen birding and research opportunities.
 
  
'''Course Materials'''
 
[[Image:Binos.jpg| right]]
 
  
'''• Required'''
 
 
o The Sibley Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America (from Co-op)
 
 
o Binoculars (available from us if you don’t have any)
 
 
o Field notepad/notebook
 
 
'''• Recommended'''
 
 
o Sibley’s birding basics (Knopf, New York, 2002)
 
 
o Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America – Peterson Field Guides
 
 
o Old shoes or hiking boots, & proper outdoor clothing (poison ivy, weather)
 
 
o Insect repellent (ticks, mosquitoes)
 
 
o Sunscreen
 
 
 
'''Assignments'''
 
 
• Daily reading assignments
 
 
• Class exercise worksheets
 
 
• Directed project write-ups
 
 
• Weekly exams, covering:
 
[[Image: Owlwatching.gif| right]]
 
o Bird ID by sight & sound
 
 
o Basic biology (e.g., from observations; field guide; “All About Birds”)
 
 
o Material from lectures & readings
 
 
o Field technique scenario questions
 
  
  
 
'''Grading'''
 
'''Grading'''
 +
 +
Exams:
 +
May 20st (MIDTERM)         [50 points];
 +
May 29th (FINAL) [50 points]
  
• Midterm exams (50 points)
+
Activities and Quizzes:
 +
5 (10 points each)                                     [50 points]
  
• Daily worksheets/field notes (150 points)
+
Final Project Presentation:
 +
May 28th                                 [70 points];
  
• Directed project assignments (50 points)
+
Field Notebook Submissions:
 +
May 19th (First) [25 points];
 +
May 28th  (Final) [25 points]
  
• Final exam (50 points)
+
Field trips and birding exercises (5 points each):
 +
Dates will be weather dependent                    [30 points]
 +
 
 +
Total:         [300 points]
  
• Total (300 points)
 
  
 
Grading scale: A = 100-90%, B = 89-80%, C = 79-70%, D = 69-60%, F = 59-0%.   
 
Grading scale: A = 100-90%, B = 89-80%, C = 79-70%, D = 69-60%, F = 59-0%.   
Plus/minus system will be used for the final grade. Perfect attendance & participation are mandatory! 
+
Plus/minus system will be used for the final grade.  
  
  
 
'''Additional References & Websites'''
 
'''Additional References & Websites'''
  
• Bibby CJ, Burgess ND, Hill DA, Mustoe S, editors. 2000. Bird census techniques. San Diego, USA: Academic Press.
+
• Local Birds ID tool: http://www.whatbird.com/Expert/Expert.aspx
 +
 
 +
• MANUAL OF ORNITHOLOGY (Yale Univ.), by N.S. Proctor and P.J. Lynch: http://books.google.com/books?id=nQ3vLQkEWQMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=general+warbler+bill+shape#v=onepage&q&f=false
 +
 
 +
• Bibby CJ, Burgess ND, Hill DA, Mustoe S, editors. 2000. Bird census techniques. San Diego, USA: Academic Press.: http://books.google.com/books?id=Ld5wkzPp49cC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Bibby&ie=ISO-8859-1&cd=2&source=gbs_gdata#v=onepage&q&f=false
  
• Gill F. 2007. Ornithology. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.  
+
• Gill F. 2007. Ornithology. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company. :  http://books.google.com/books?id=zM0tG5ApO0UC&printsec=frontcover&dq=ornithology+gill&hl=en&src=bmrr&ei=4iTsTfHvN4b2gAeg3o3ZCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
  
 
• Stiling P. 1999. Ecology: theories and application. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
 
• Stiling P. 1999. Ecology: theories and application. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Line 150: Line 148:
  
  
 +
'''Website design by Diego Sustaita'''
  
 
[[Category:EEB Courses]]
 
[[Category:EEB Courses]]

Revision as of 20:00, 7 April 2015

EEB3898flyer.jpg

EEB 3898: Field Methods in Ornithology

Intensive Summer Session, May 11th - 29th, 2015

Meets: M-F, 7:30 am to 11:30 am, TLS 371


Instructor: Kevin Burgio

Office: Biol/Pharm 402

Email: kevin.burgio@uconn.edu

Office hours: variable & flexible (email, drop by)

Website: UConn Monk Parakeet Research


Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be proficient in taking field notes, basic bird anatomy, song structure, and identification skills needed to accurately identify bird species. Students will have instruction and experience in the following: bird survey design, the most commonly used bird census methods, and field-based behavioral observation. Lastly, students will be introduced to current statistical approaches used to analyze data collected in the field.


Course Materials

Binos.jpg

Required

1. The Sibley Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America

2. Bibby CJ, Burgess ND, Hill DA, Mustoe S, editors. 2000. Bird census techniques. San Diego, USA: Academic Press

3. Binoculars (available from us if you don’t have any)

4. Field notepad/notebook (Pdficon small.gif Basic guidelines)

5. Closed-toe shoes (no sandals) or hiking boots, & proper outdoor clothing (you may encounter poison ivy, ticks and biting insects, and/or bad weather)

Recommended

1. Sibley’s Birding Basics

2. Peterson's Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America

3. Insect repellent (ticks, mosquitoes)

4. Sunscreen

Tentative schedule - Note that because so much of what we do depends on the weather, the schedule is very subject to change!

Day Topic Day Topic Day Topic
M 11 Course introduction and timeline; Bird identification (Optics, Guides and Notes) M 18 Survey of local birds; notebooks (First Submission) M 25 Independent project data collection (Final); data analysis
T 12 Topography and Field Marks Feet, Beaks and Body Form; Field exercises; Start projects T 19 Individual project presentations T 26 Survey of coastal birds
W 13 Field research techniques, hypotheses testing, study design, and data analysis W 20 MIDTERM EXAM W 27 Survey of local birds. Field notebooks (Final Submission)
Th 14 Survey of local birds, Review, Project guidelines discussion and selection Th 21 Individual project data collection I (Methods adjustment) Th 28 Review session in preparation for the final;
F 15 Banding demo(?) F 22 Individual project data collection II (Assisted) F 29 FINAL EXAM; Instructor evaluations



Grading

Exams: May 20st (MIDTERM) [50 points]; May 29th (FINAL) [50 points]

Activities and Quizzes: 5 (10 points each) [50 points]

Final Project Presentation: May 28th [70 points];

Field Notebook Submissions: May 19th (First) [25 points]; May 28th (Final) [25 points]

Field trips and birding exercises (5 points each): Dates will be weather dependent [30 points]

Total: [300 points]


Grading scale: A = 100-90%, B = 89-80%, C = 79-70%, D = 69-60%, F = 59-0%. Plus/minus system will be used for the final grade.


Additional References & Websites

• Local Birds ID tool: http://www.whatbird.com/Expert/Expert.aspx

• MANUAL OF ORNITHOLOGY (Yale Univ.), by N.S. Proctor and P.J. Lynch: http://books.google.com/books?id=nQ3vLQkEWQMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=general+warbler+bill+shape#v=onepage&q&f=false

• Bibby CJ, Burgess ND, Hill DA, Mustoe S, editors. 2000. Bird census techniques. San Diego, USA: Academic Press.: http://books.google.com/books?id=Ld5wkzPp49cC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Bibby&ie=ISO-8859-1&cd=2&source=gbs_gdata#v=onepage&q&f=false

• Gill F. 2007. Ornithology. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company. : http://books.google.com/books?id=zM0tG5ApO0UC&printsec=frontcover&dq=ornithology+gill&hl=en&src=bmrr&ei=4iTsTfHvN4b2gAeg3o3ZCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

• Stiling P. 1999. Ecology: theories and application. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

• Clark, G. A. 1999. Birds of Storrs, Connecticut and vicinity. 3rd Ed. Mansfield, CT: Natchaug Ornithological Society & Joshua’s Tract Conservation and Historic Trust.

• SORA (Searchable Ornithological Research Archive): http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/index.php

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology “All About Birds”: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds

• Natchaug Ornithological Society: http://www.nosbird.org/ (esp. “local hotspots” http://www.nosbird.org/hotspots.html)

• Connecticut Ornithological Association: http://www.ctbirding.org/index.htm

• CT Audubon Society: http://www.ctaudubon.org/

• CT Department of Environmental Protection: http://www.ct.gov/dep/site/default.asp


Website design by Diego Sustaita