Field Ornithology

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EEB 3898: Field Methods in Ornithology

Intensive Summer Session 1, June 6th - 24th, 2011 MTWThF

Instructor: Alejandro Rico

Office: Biol/Pharm 404

Phone: 860-486-0309

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


Course Objectives

➢ Acquire bird identification skills

➢ Learn how to take field notes

➢ Learn and apply basic field research techniques, study design, and data analysis

➢ Develop an individual project


Tentative* schedule

Day Topic Day Topic Day Topic
M 06 Course introduction and timeline; Bird identification (Optics, Guides and Notes) M 13 Capture/banding demonstration; Field notebooks (First Submission) M 20 Survey of coastal birds; Field notebooks (Final Submission)
T 07 Topography and Field Marks; Feet, Beaks and Body Form; Field exercises T 14 Individual project presentations; Paper submission (Introduction and Methods) T 21 Bird families (Taxonomy); Individual project data analysis
W 08 Survey of local birds (Mansfield Hollow), start project thinking (written ideas) W 15 MIDTERM EXAM; birding after W 22 Individual project presentations and assisted work on the paper
Th 09 Field research techniques, hypotheses testing, study design, and data analysis; Pdficon small.gifAnderson et al. 1979; Pdficon small.gifOrtega & Capen 1999 Th 16 Individual project data collection I (Methods adjustment) Th 23 Point count theory and field activity (use of eBird); PAPER SUBMISSION (FINAL)
F 10 Individual project guidelines and selection; Local birding F 17 Individual project data collection II (Final) F 24 FINAL EXAM; Instructor evaluations

*: Schedule is subject to change pending weather conditions, or unforeseen birding and research opportunities.


Course Materials

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• Required

o The Sibley Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America

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

o Field notepad/notebook

• Recommended

o Sibley’s birding basics

o Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America

o Old shoes or hiking boots, & proper outdoor clothing (poison ivy, weather)

o Insect repellent (ticks, mosquitoes)

o Sunscreen


Grading

Exams: June 15th (MIDTERM) [50 points]; June 24th (FINAL) [50 points]


Individual Project Paper: June 14th (Intro and Methods) [30 points]; June 23rd (Final) [50 points]


Individual Project Presentations: June 14th (Intro and Methods) [20 points]; June 23th (Final) [25 points]


Field Notebook Submissions: June 13th (First) [20 points]; June 21st (Final) [25 points]


Field trips = Birding exercises (5 points each): June 8th, 10th, 16th, 17th, 22nd, 23rd [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

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

• Gill F. 2007. Ornithology. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.

• 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