Difference between revisions of "Field Ornithology"

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[[Image:EEB3898flyer.jpg| right]]
 
[[Image:EEB3898flyer.jpg| right]]
  
<span style="font-size: x-large">EEB 3898: Field Methods in Ornithology
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<span style="font-size: x-large">EEB 4262: Field Methods in Ornithology
  
'''Intensive Summer Session, May 13th - 31st, 2013''' '''MTWThF'''  
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'''Intensive Summer Session, May 11th - 29th, 2015'''
  
Instructor: '''[mailto:a.rico@uconn.edu Alejandro Rico]'''
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'''Meets:''' M-F, 7:30 am to 11:30 am, TLS 371
  
Office: Biol/Pharm 404
 
  
Phone: 860-486-0309
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Instructor: '''[mailto:kevin.burgio@uconn.edu Kevin Burgio]'''
  
Office hours: variable & flexible (call, email, drop by)
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Office: Biol/Pharm 402
  
 +
Email: kevin.burgio@uconn.edu
  
 +
Office hours: variable & flexible (email, drop by)
  
'''Course Objectives'''
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Website: [http://www.monkparakeetresearch.org UConn Monk Parakeet Research]
  
➢ Acquire bird identification skills
 
  
➢ Learn how to take field notes
 
  
➢ Learn and apply basic field techniques, study design, and data analysis
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'''Course Objectives'''
 
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➢ Develop a research project
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➢ Improve collaboration skills
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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.
  
  
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[[Image:Binos.jpg| right]]
 
[[Image:Binos.jpg| right]]
  
'''Required'''
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'''Required'''
  
o The Sibley Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America
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1. The Sibley Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America
  
o Binoculars (available from us if you don’t have any)
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2. Bibby CJ, Burgess ND, Hill DA, Mustoe S, editors. 2000. Bird census techniques. San Diego, USA: Academic Press
  
o Field notepad/notebook
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3. Binoculars (available from us if you don’t have any)
  
o Closed-toe shoes (no sandals) or hiking boots, & proper outdoor clothing (poison ivy, weather)
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4. Field notepad/notebook ({{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/b/b4/Field_Notebook_Guidelines_2013.pdf}} Basic guidelines)
  
'''• Recommended'''
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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)
  
o Sibley’s birding basics
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'''Recommended'''
  
o Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America
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1. Sibley’s Birding Basics
  
o Insect repellent (ticks, mosquitoes)
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2. Peterson's Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America
  
o Sunscreen
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3. Insect repellent (ticks, mosquitoes)
  
 +
4. Sunscreen
  
 
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'''Tentative schedule - Note that because so much of what we do depends on the weather, the schedule is very subject to change!'''
'''Tentativeschedule'''
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{| border="1" cellpadding="2"  
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"  
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!style="background:" width="300"|Topic
 
!style="background:" width="300"|Topic
 
|-  
 
|-  
| M 13 || Course introduction and timeline; Bird identification (Optics, Guides and Notes. Homework: Sibley Field Guide pags. 10-17) || M 20|| {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/ortega%26capen1999.pdf}}Ortega & Capen 1999, Local birding (Pink Ravine), Field notebooks (First Submission)  
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| M 11 || Course introduction and timeline; Bird identification (Optics, Guides and Notes)  
|| M 27 || Memorial day: Individual project data collection III (Final)
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|| M 18 || Banding demonstration; notebooks (First Submission)
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|| M 25 || Independent project data collection (Final); data analysis
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
| T 14 || Topography and Field Marks (Homework: Sibley Field Guide pags. 18-24); Feet, Beaks and Body Form; Field exercises, start project thinking
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|| T 21 || Individual project presentations; Paper submission (Introduction and Methods)
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| T 12 || Topography and Field Marks Feet, Beaks and Body Form; Field exercises; Start projects 
|| T 28 || Survey of coastal birds / Field notebooks (Final Submission)
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|| T 19 || Individual project presentations  
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|| T 26 || Survey of coastal birds  
 
|-  
 
|-  
| W 15 || Field research techniques, hypotheses testing, study design, and data analysis
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|| W 22 || MIDTERM EXAM; birding after
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| W 13 || Field research techniques, hypotheses testing, study design, and data analysis  
|| W 29 || Project presentations and assisted work on the paper
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|| W 20 || '''MIDTERM EXAM'''
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|| W 27 || Survey of local birds. Field notebooks (Final Submission)
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Th 16 || {{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/fieldornithology/andersonetal.1979.pdf}}Anderson et al. 1979
 
Survey of local birds (Mansfield Hollow),  Project guidelines discussion and selection (written ideas)
 
|| Th 23 || Individual project data collection I (Methods adjustment)
 
  
|| Th 30 || Review session in preparation for the final; PAPER SUBMISSION (FINAL)
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| Th 14 || Survey of local birds, Review, Project guidelines discussion and selection
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|| Th 21 || Individual project data collection I (Methods adjustment)
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|| Th 28 || Review session in preparation for the final;  
 
|-  
 
|-  
| F 17 || Banding demo, Pomfret Center, Connecticut Audubon Society
 
|| F 24 || Individual project data collection II (Assisted)
 
  
|| F 31 || FINAL EXAM; Instructor evaluations
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| F 15 || Survey of local birds
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|| F 22 || Individual project data collection II (Assisted)
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|| F 29 || FINAL EXAM; Instructor evaluations
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
 
</span>     
 
</span>     
 
|}
 
|}
'''*''': Schedule is subject to change pending weather conditions, or unforeseen birding and research opportunities.
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Exams:
 
Exams:
May 22nd (MIDTERM) [50 points];
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May 20st (MIDTERM)         [50 points];
May 31st (FINAL) [50 points]
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May 29th (FINAL) [50 points]
  
 +
Activities and Quizzes:
 +
5 (10 points each)                                      [50 points]
  
Project Paper:
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Final Project Presentation:
May 21st (Intro and Methods) [30 points];
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May 28th                                 [70 points];
May 30th  (Final) [50 points]
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+
 
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Project Presentations:
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May 21st  (Intro and Methods) [20 points];
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May 29th  (Final) [25 points]
+
 
+
  
 
Field Notebook Submissions:
 
Field Notebook Submissions:
May 20th (First) [20 points];
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May 19th (First) [25 points];
 
May 28th  (Final) [25 points]
 
May 28th  (Final) [25 points]
  
 +
Field trips and birding exercises (5 points each):
 +
Dates will be weather dependent                    [30 points]
  
Field trips = Birding exercises (5 points each):
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Total:         [300 points]
Dates will be weather dependent    [30 points]
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+
 
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Total: [300 points]
+
  
  
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'''Additional References & Websites'''
 
'''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
 
• 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

Revision as of 01:33, 29 April 2015

EEB3898flyer.jpg

EEB 4262: 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 Banding demonstration; 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 Survey of local birds 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


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