INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ORNITHOLOGY - BIOLOGY 3490 and 3500
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When the bird and the book disagree... always believe the bird”
Instructor: Dr. Kate Grandison .
Office: SC115, hours: MW: 9-10am, 3-4pm, F: 9-11am, or OPEN DOOR
For Appointment: leave message: 865-8345 or grandison@suu.edu
GOALS FOR THIS CLASS: You will have the opportunity to:
1) Learn bird biology: what's known and what's not? Critically evaluate bird research papers.
2) Learn field ID and investigation skills to increase the pleasures in your life and improve your job skills
as well as to find out what you can do for birds -making you a more useful citizen of the world.
3) Enjoy the wonders of southwestern Utah hot birding spots!
My question, answer in the fewest words…. What sort of life is it among the birds? Aristophanes
1. Required Text and equipment: Field Guide to Western Birds by Peterson, Beak of a Finch by J. Weiner.
binoculars, and a field notebook,
Recommended texts:, Handbook of Bird Biology, Cornell Labs or Ornithology by Gill, and CD or Tapes Birding by Ear: Western
Peterson Field Guide Series, Songbirds of the southwest canyon country
2. Tests: 3 lecture tests (including final) of 100 points each plus 2 - 100 point lab tests (midterm and final).................................................................................................................... 500 points
3. Written and oral assignments:
1) Field Notes............................................................................................. 120 points
Detailed field notes should include all field trips and weekend or backyard bird list.
2) Lab and Field Quizzes .......................................................................... 130 points
Labs and Field trips are required. There will be a quiz- 3 birds/week in the lab/ field (10 points/week).
3) 2 short oral presentations at 25 points each.......................................... 50 points
These will be presentations which analyze a primary scientific paper (see list for recommended journals) assigned on weekly topic. Scoring as follows:
1) copy of paper, and overhead of data (critical table or graph or data): 5 points
2) Short Summary of question, hypothesis, methods, control, results and conclusion: 20 points
and YOUR critical evaluation of the data and the conclusion (see attached scoresheet).
4. For the Birds Project: Research or educational project..................... .......... 100 points
Your choice must include 10 hours of time plus written documentation due WEDNESDAY May 4@ 7:00am.
5. Final Grade: My grading system is based on percentage of overall performance total for all course requirements from both lecture and lab and will be the same for both BIOL 3490 and BIOL 3500. I use the following calculations: 93-100% = 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-; Below 60% = F. Scores will be posted on WebCT. Please contact me for clarification or any concerns you have about your grade throughout the semester.
Late Work: Late work will not be accepted.
Makeup Work: Makeup work will only be accepted with written documentation of dire “Act of God” circumstances. Quizzes cannot be made up.
Cheating/Plagarism will earn an F grade and students may face expulsion from the university (see official university policy in the student handbook). If in doubt about plagiarism, cite your sources (see Pechenik, p.32, for further discussion). .Scholastic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent. You are expected to have read and understood the current issue of the student handbook (published by Student Services) regarding student responsibilities and rights, and the intellectual property policy, for information about procedures and about what constitutes acceptable on-campus behavior.
ADA Statement: Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Southern Utah University Coordinator for Services to Students with Disabilities (SSD), Room 205D, Sharwan Smith Center, phone (435) 865-8022. SSD determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of these services and aids."
Information contained in this syllabus, other than grade and absence policies may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.
SCHEDULE FOR ORNITHOLOGY - BIOLOGY 3490 (subject to change):
Every Day: identification tips and practice
WEEK starting: Readings/Pages or Chapters in Text (Cornell/Gill)
January 10 TOPIC: WHAT ARE BIRDS?
Introduction, In Human History and General characteristics of birds (H-3:H-42/Ch.1)
*ALL FRIDAYS...Survey of living birds And Your paper presentations! Appendix I
January 17 TOPIC: Bird Form and Function: physical and biological requirements of flight...
Mlk day Birds as flying machines (Feathers and Wings) (Ch 5-1:50/ Ch.5)
Survey: RATITES __________________________________________________
January 24 Skeletons, muscles, skin and skin products, etc Ch.4
Survey: PODICEPEDIFORMES, SPHENISCIFORMES, GAVIIFORMES___________
January 31 Digestion and foods (Ch.4/6 & 7)
Survey: PROCELLARIFORMES, PELECANIFORMES_________________________
February 7 Circulation, Respiration, Excretion, and metabolism (Ch.4/ 6)
Survey: FALCONIFORMES_________________ ____________________
February 14 Nervous and Reproduction system (Ch.4/ 8 & 15)
Survey: STRIGIFORMES, CAPRIMULGIFORMES
FEBRUARY 18 1st TEST__
FEBRUARY 19-21 BACKYARD BIRD COUNT (birding.com)
February 21 TOPIC: CONSQUENCES OF FLIGHT
Pres day Bird Behavior and Communication (Ch 6&7/ 8- 11)
Survey: ANSERIFORMES, PHOENOCOPTERIFORMES, CICONIIFORMES_____
February 28 Courtship, territory and reproductive strategies (Ch 6/ 9, 14,17)
Survey: GALLIFORMES, GRUIFORMES, CHARDRIIFORMES___________
March 7 Incubation, Care of young and brood parasitism (Ch 8/ 16, 18,19)
Survey: COLUMBIIFORMES, PSITTACIFORMES, CUCULIFORMES
MAR 11 2nd TEST___ __
March 14-18 SPRING BREAK BIRDWATCH IN THE BAHAMAS OR ?????
March 21 TOPIC: WHERE ARE THEY FOUND?
Bird migration and orientation , dispersal and habitat selection
(Ch 5&9/11-13, 23)
Good Friday Survey: APODIFORMES, CORACIIFORMES, PICIFORMES________________
March 28 Bird populations, community ecology and human interactions
(Ch 9/21, 22 ,23, 24)
Easter Monday Survey: PASSERIFORMES Part 1: Beak of Finch
April 4 TOPIC: WHERE ARE THEY FOUND And WHAT GOOD ARE THEY?
Bird distribution and human interactions
(Ch 10/ 24)
Survey: PASSERIFORMES Part 2: Beak of Finch
April 11 TOPIC: WHERE DID BIRDS COME FROM?
Taxonomy/cladistics (Ch 1-32:64/ 3, 22) Part 3: Beak of Finch
April 18 Origin and evolution of birds (Ch E-2:34/ 2, 3)____
April 25 Big Picture Review
April 30…. . INTERNATIONAL MIGRATORY BIRD DAY… CANYON PARK.________.
LAB FINAL -------------------------------------------------------------- APRIL 28 or Switch ???? to May 4??
FINAL EXAMINATION: WEDNESDAY, May 4, 7-8:50am
GUIDE FOR READING, ANALYZING, AND PRESENTING PRIMARY PAPER
Look for primary paper in the following Periodicals related to Ornithology in the SUU Library
Journal of Wildlife Management Ecology
Wildlife Monographs South ??? Great Basin Naturalist
Raptor Research Wilson Bulletin
American Scientist Conservation Biology
Auk Nature
Bioscience Science
Condor
LAB TOPIC SCHEDULE: Date
WEEK 1: Bird Topography and feather structure (Cornell Ch.1, 3-1:18, 3-48:60) January 13
WEEK 2: Bird skeleton and anatomy (Cornell Ch.1) January 20
WEEK 3: Preparation of bird study skins January 27
WEEK 4: Field identification and Field Notes (Cornell Ch.2) February 3
WEEK 7: LAB MIDTERM EXAM MARCH 3
WEEK 15: LAB FINAL APRIL 24
WEEK 5-14: Remaining labs will be a combination of field and laboratory identification of Utah birds. Each week focusing on one of these groups: Waterfowl, Shorebirds, Raptors, Riparian birds, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert Scrub birds, Mountain brush birds, Coniferous forest birds Exact schedule dependent on weather and migration patterns.
2005 Field Trip Schedule ( subject to change based on weather and migration patterns)
Vans leave at 7am unless otherwise noted from Motorpool parking lot.
February or March ? (leave at 530am)------------------ Salt Lake City: Museum of Natural History and Tracy Aviary
February 10 OR 17? ------------------------------ Cedar Valley Raptor Survey Keith Day, UDWR
March 24 (leave at 630am)--------------Parowan Gap: Sage Grouse, Parowan sewage ponds: shorebirds and ducks J. Grandison UDWR
March 31 ---------------------------------- Cedar and Parowan sewage ponds and Emu farm
April 7-------------------------------------- Cedar Valley, Propane place stockyards Steve Hedges, BLM
Habitat: Agriculture areas, Pinyon-juniper, Great Basin Desert Scrub
April 14 ------------------------------------ Red Cliffs, Quail Creek Reservoir, Washington Fields Frank Howe UDWR
Habitat: transition Mojave desert, riparian
April 21 ------------------------------------ Santa Clara bird banding, Gunlock Reservoir Keith Day, UDWR
Habitat: Transition Mojave & GB desert scrub and riparian
April 28 OR May 4-------------------------------------LAB FINAL . PLACE TBA
April 30?? --------------------------------------- Migratory Bird Day 8-12noon
Canyon Park Steve & Priscilla Summers, Steve Hedges, Keith Day
Dates: TBA Beaver Dam slope, Lytle Ranch , May advanced birding Field Ornithology