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 7th - 25th, 2012''' '''MTWThF'''  
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'''Intensive Summer Session, May 8th - 26th, 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:holly.k.brown@uconn.edu Holly K. Milton Brown]'''
  
Office hours: variable & flexible (call, email, drop by)
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Office: Pharmacy Biology Building, room 402
 +
 
 +
Email: holly.k.brown@uconn.edu
 +
 
 +
Office hours: flexible (email to set up an appointment)
 +
 
 +
Websites: [http://rubegalab.uconn.edu/hollybrown/ UCONN website] [https://hollymiltonbrown.wordpress.com Wordpress]
  
  
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'''Course Objectives'''
 
'''Course Objectives'''
  
➢ Acquire bird identification skills
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Upon completion of this course, students will have:
 +
 
 +
1. acquired bird identification skills (by sight and sound).
  
➢ Learn how to take field notes
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2. become proficient in taking scientific field notes.
  
➢ Learn and apply basic field techniques, study design, and data analysis
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3. gained experience in common field techniques for studying birds.
  
➢ Develop a research project  
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4. contributed to the design and implementation of a group research project.
  
➢ Improve collaboration skills
 
  
  
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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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'''Strongly Recommended'''
  
o Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America
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1. Peterson's Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America
  
o Insect repellent (ticks, mosquitoes)
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2. Peterson's More Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America
  
o Sunscreen
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3. Insect repellent (ticks, mosquitoes)
  
 +
4. Sunscreen
  
  
'''Tentativeschedule'''
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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! Also note that '''Pop Quizzes''' are possible on any date.
  
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"  
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"  
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!style="background:" width="300"|Topic
 
!style="background:" width="300"|Topic
 
|-  
 
|-  
| M 07 || Course introduction and timeline; Bird identification (Optics, Guides and Notes. Homework: Sibley Field Guide pags. 10-17) || M 14|| {{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 8 || Course intro: syllabus, schedule, field safety; Intro to bird ID (Optics, Guides and Notes); Survey local birds; '''Read Bibby Ch 1 PRIOR to class'''
|| M 21 || Individual project data collection II (Final)
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|| M 15 || Group project proposal presentations & '''project selection'''; Start projects; Submit field notebooks for grading
 +
|| M 22 || Finish data collection; Start data analysis
  
 
|-  
 
|-  
| T 08 || 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 15 || Individual project presentations; Paper submission (Introduction and Methods)
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| T 9 || '''NOTE: THIS CLASS WILL RUN 9AM-1PM.''' Bird Topography and Field Marks; Banding Demonstration Field Trip
|| T 22 || Survey of coastal birds / Field notebooks (Final Submission)
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|| T 16 || Data collection
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|| T 23 || Survey of coastal birds  
 
|-  
 
|-  
| W 09 || Field research techniques, hypotheses testing, study design, and data analysis
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|| W 16 || MIDTERM EXAM; birding after
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| W 10 || Field research techniques, study design, and data analysis  
|| W 23 || Project presentations and assisted work on the paper
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|| W 17 || '''MIDTERM EXAM'''; Data collection
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|| W 24 || Survey of local, off-campus birding sites; Submit field notebooks for a final notebook grade
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Th 10 || {{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 17 || Individual project data collection I (Methods adjustment)
 
  
|| Th 24 || Review session in preparation for the final; PAPER SUBMISSION (FINAL)
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| Th 11 || Field techniques, continued; Survey local birds
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|| Th 18 || Report on state of group research project; Discuss methodological revisions; Data collection
 +
|| Th 25 || '''Research Presentations''' (& birding afterwards)
 
|-  
 
|-  
| F 11 || Survey of local birds (Pink ravine)
 
|| F 18 || Banding demo, Pomfret Center, Connecticut Audubon Society
 
  
|| F 25 || FINAL EXAM; Instructor evaluations
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| F 12 || Research project guidelines & discussion; Survey local birds 
 +
|| F 19 || Data collection
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|| F 26 || '''FINAL EXAM'''; '''Peer evaluations'''; 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 16th (MIDTERM) [50 points];
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May 17th (MIDTERM)         [50 points];
May 25th (FINAL) [50 points]
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May 26th (FINAL) [50 points]
  
 +
Pop Quizzes:
 +
5 (10 points each)                                      [50 points]
  
Project Paper:
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Research Project Proposal (Presentation & Discussions):
May 15th (Intro and Methods) [30 points];
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May 15th                                 [50 points];
May 24th  (Final) [50 points]
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+
 
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Project Presentations:
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May 15th (Intro and Methods) [20 points];
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May 24th  (Final) [25 points]
+
  
 +
Research Project Presentation:
 +
May 25th                                 [50 points];
  
 
Field Notebook Submissions:
 
Field Notebook Submissions:
May 14th (First) [20 points];
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May 15th (First) [25 points];
May 22nd (Final) [25 points]
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May 26th (Final) [25 points]
  
 +
Field trips and birding exercises (5 points each):
 +
Dates will be weather dependent                    [35 points]
  
Field trips = Birding exercises (5 points each):
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Total:         [335 points]
Dates will be weather dependent    [30 points]
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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

Latest revision as of 19:57, 2 May 2017

EEB3898flyer.jpg

EEB 4262: Field Methods in Ornithology

Intensive Summer Session, May 8th - 26th, 2015

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


Instructor: Holly K. Milton Brown

Office: Pharmacy Biology Building, room 402

Email: holly.k.brown@uconn.edu

Office hours: flexible (email to set up an appointment)

Websites: UCONN website Wordpress


Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will have:

1. acquired bird identification skills (by sight and sound).

2. become proficient in taking scientific field notes.

3. gained experience in common field techniques for studying birds.

4. contributed to the design and implementation of a group research project.


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)

Strongly Recommended

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

2. Peterson's More 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! Also note that Pop Quizzes are possible on any date.

Day Topic Day Topic Day Topic
M 8 Course intro: syllabus, schedule, field safety; Intro to bird ID (Optics, Guides and Notes); Survey local birds; Read Bibby Ch 1 PRIOR to class M 15 Group project proposal presentations & project selection; Start projects; Submit field notebooks for grading M 22 Finish data collection; Start data analysis
T 9 NOTE: THIS CLASS WILL RUN 9AM-1PM. Bird Topography and Field Marks; Banding Demonstration Field Trip T 16 Data collection T 23 Survey of coastal birds
W 10 Field research techniques, study design, and data analysis W 17 MIDTERM EXAM; Data collection W 24 Survey of local, off-campus birding sites; Submit field notebooks for a final notebook grade
Th 11 Field techniques, continued; Survey local birds Th 18 Report on state of group research project; Discuss methodological revisions; Data collection Th 25 Research Presentations (& birding afterwards)
F 12 Research project guidelines & discussion; Survey local birds F 19 Data collection F 26 FINAL EXAM; Peer evaluations; Instructor evaluations



Grading

Exams: May 17th (MIDTERM) [50 points]; May 26th (FINAL) [50 points]

Pop Quizzes: 5 (10 points each) [50 points]

Research Project Proposal (Presentation & Discussions): May 15th [50 points];

Research Project Presentation: May 25th [50 points];

Field Notebook Submissions: May 15th (First) [25 points]; May 26th (Final) [25 points]

Field trips and birding exercises (5 points each): Dates will be weather dependent [35 points]

Total: [335 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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