Zoology 360 Fall 2004 Syllabus Biology of Birds

Transcription

1 Zoology 360 Fall 2004 Syllabus Biology of Birds Instructor: Office: Office hours: Telephone: Dr. Pamela C. Rasmussen 337 Natural Science (for office hours; also 317 MSU Museum) Wed 3:30-5:30 and Thu 9:30-11:30 a.m. (or by appointment) I strongly encourage you to take advantage of office hours---don t be shy! (Nat. Sci.) or (Museum) rasmus39@msu.edu Graduate TA: Terri McElhinny, mcelhinn@msu.edu (office hours Wed 9-11) Undergraduate TAs: Kathleen Eddy, eddykath@msu.edu (office hours Mon 11:30-12:30) Megan McAdam, mcadamme@msu.edu (office hours Fri 1:30-2:30) TA office hours will be on third floor of Museum; knock on outer door Lectures: Labs: Credits: Prerequisites: Course Website: Tue and Thu, 8-9:20 a.m., 204 Natural Science Bldg. MSU Museum Auditorium, 207A Museum Section 1: Tue 3-5:50 p.m. Section 2: Wed 11:30-2:20 p.m. 4 (undergraduate) BS 110 or LBS 144 or LBS 148H Required materials: First three items available at MSU Bookstore, Ned s, Student Bookstore, and Spartan Bookstore: 1. Gill, F. B Ornithology. Second Ed. Freeman, New York. 2. Walton, R. K. and R. W. Lawson. Birding by ear. Eastern/Central. Peterson Field Guides. (cassettes) 3. Stokes, D. and L. Stokes Stokes Field Guide to Birds. Eastern Region. Little, Brown & Co., Boston. Available from Agriculture Hall Copy Center: 4. Beaver, D.L. (with modifications by C. Lindell) The structure, characteristics and diversity of birds. A laboratory workbook for Ornithology. Zoology 360. The Biology of Birds. ($22.63, cash or check only. Open M-F from 7:45-12, 1-4:45)

2 Zoology 360 Fall 2004 Lecture Schedule Biology of Birds (minor changes in sequence/topic possible; a few additional readings, exercises, quizzes, videos TBA) Date Day Topic Readings 1, exercises 8/31 Tu Introduction, history, and scope of ornithology Class survey; Gill pp. xxi-xxvii 9/2 Th Characteristics and diversity of Class Aves Gill pp /7 Tu Intro to field ID; Systematics within Class Aves and Phylogenetic exercise; recent advances in methods and knowledge Gill pp (skim ) 9/9 Th Speciation Gill pp , /14 Tu Biogeography Gill pp /16 Th Evolution of tropical diversity and communities Gill pp /21 Tu Survey methods, bioinformatics, and museums; Databasing/mapping exercise tour of MSU Museum bird collections 9/23 Th Avian declines, extinctions and conservation Gill pp /28 Tu MID-TERM LECTURE EXAM 1 9/30 Th Evolution, adaptations, and ecology of island avifaunas Gill pp /5 Tu Origin and early evolution (M. Gottfried) Gill pp /7 Th Reproduction: gonads and eggs (T. McElhinny) Gill pp /12 Tu Nests, Incubation, Growth Gill pp , /14 Th Physiology, Senses Gill pp , ; Prey detection exercise 10/19 Tu Feather structure, diversity, evolution, and Gill pp maintenance 10/21 Th Flight and other means of locomotion Wingshape/wing loading exercise; Gill pp /26 Tu Feeding structures, foraging ecology, co-evolution with plants Gill pp /28 Th Populations and demography Gill pp /2 Tu MID-TERM LECTURE EXAM 2 11/4 Th Migration, navigation, and annual cycles Gill pp /9 Tu Mating systems and parental care strategies Gill pp , , /11 Th Brood parasitism Gill pp /16 Tu Defense and offense 11/18 Th Visual communication Gill pp /23 Tu Vocal communication Sonagram analysis exercise; /25 Th Thanksgiving Break 11/30 Tu Social behavior Gill pp /2 Th Biology of Diurnal and Nocturnal Raptors (Hawks, Vultures, Falcons, and Owls) 12/7 Tu Biology of Parrots and Hummingbirds 12/9 Th Biology of Shorebirds, Gulls and Auks (Charadriiformes) 12/13 Mon FINAL EXAM 7:45-9:45 a.m. 1 Readings are for background and amplification of lecture material; exam questions will be drawn only from the lectures, exercises, and videos unless specifically indicated

3 Zoology 360 Fall 2004 Grading of Lecture Section Biology of Birds First Lecture Exam: 60 points Second Lecture Exam: 70 points Final Lecture Exam (comprehensive): 100 points Exercises/quizzes: 60 points Attendance: 25 points Total Lecture Points: 315 points Your grade will be assigned based on your total points for the course. If necessary, grading will be on a curve. Attendance/Participation: Attendance at all lecture and laboratory sessions is expected. Attendance will be taken at each lab session and in some lecture sessions. Please be on time for the start of lecture. Feel free to ask questions or make relevant points in lecture (or ask instructor to slow down!). Exams: As indicated in course schedule. Tests are based on material covered in lecture, including exercises and videos. Questions will not be drawn from material in the readings not covered in lecture or indicated as especially important to know. Exams will be mostly multiple-choice but will also have shortanswer and essay questions, and some labeled drawings. Make-up exams: Allowable only in cases of medical or other verifiable emergency; bring a doctor s or other official note (mandatory) Honors Students and Graduate Credit: In addition to regular coursework, honors students and graduate students seeking graduate credit will prepare a bird species account for the Animal Diversity Web ( The student may choose any species not already on the ADW, but it should be one about which there is a fair amount published, not a virtually unknown species. Check with me about your chosen species before spending much time on it! Special Circumstances: Please inform me as soon as possible if you have any relevant conditions that would require special arrangements (such as emergency evacuation plans).

4 Zoology 360 Fall 2004 Schedule of Laboratories Biology of Birds Be sure to read and always follow guidelines for treatment of specimens (Appendix A in Coursepack) Date Topic Notes 31 August-1 Sep. Avian skeleton and feathers Gill 1 : Ch. 4 & September Field Identification Meet at NW entrance to Baker Woodlot September Basics of Identification and Characteristics of Birds: Gaviiformes to Podicipediformes Song quiz September Sphenisciformes to Anseriformes-Anatini Song quiz September Anseriformes-Aythyini to Charadriiformes I 5-6 October MID-TERM LAB EXAM I Exam 1 st 1.5 hrs. followed by Nests & Eggs Gill 1 : October Phoenicopteriformes to Charadriiformes II Song quiz October Ratites to Falconiformes October Galliformes to Caprimulgiformes Song quiz November Apodiformes to Passeriformes: Crows 9-10 November MID-TERM LAB EXAM II Exam 1 st 1.5 hrs followed by Larks to Gnatcatchers November Passeriformes: Thrushes, Mimids and Parulids Song quiz November Passeriformes: Weavers, Thraupidae to Passeridae 30 November-1 Dec. Review Song quiz December FINAL LAB EXAM 1 Bring Gill to these laboratories. 2 This is the gate entrance near the corner of Farm Lane and Service Road. Notify TA and/or instructor if you have severe allergies to insect bites or poison ivy. Bring binoculars (if possible) and/or other equipment; your field guide, a checklist (to be supplied), a small notebook, and a pen/pencil. 3 Notify TA and/or instructor if you have a hearing loss that would compromise your ability to identify some birds.

5 Zoology 360 Fall 2004 Grading of Laboratories Biology of Birds Laboratory Schedule The requirements for the laboratory consist of learning the basics of avian skeletal anatomy, feather structure, coloration and use, nest, and eggs, and the diversity of birds, which is the majority of the laboratory. The teaching assistants will provide detailed instruction on these topics and what students will be responsible for. Diversity of Birds: What to Know 1. Students are responsible for the scientific names for the higher taxonomic categories: Orders, Families, and Subfamilies of all groups studied. Students will need to know suborders for some selected groups that will be pointed out by the teaching assistants. The table of contents lists these taxonomic categories for all species we will study. 2. Students are responsible for the full Common Name [1] of each specimen listed in the text and table of contents. In addition to knowing the common name of each specimen, the student must be able to match the specimen to any one, or all, of its appropriate higher taxonomic categories, as listed in number 1 above. 3. Students are also responsible for full scientific names (e.g. Cyanocitta cristata--genus and species) for all species on the song quizzes. Genera that must be learned are marked with the superscripts g or s in the text and in the table of contents. 4. Students will be responsible for knowledge of the general distribution of each taxonomic group and other information as designated by the instructors. Grades and grading (laboratory) Laboratory will represent 50% of the course grade, with Lecture being the remaining 50%. Performance in the laboratory will be evaluated based on attendance (present, with course pack, for the entire lab period), quizzes and exams. The schedule of exams and distribution of points is shown in the table below. Activity Points Notes Attendance 55 5 pts each non-exam lab [2] (11 labs) Midterm I 50 Midterm II 50 not cumulative Final Lab Exam 100 cumulative Song Quizzes 60 6 at 10 pts each Total: Laboratory % Total: Lecture % Grand Total 630 Policy for Spelling on Exams Spelling the names of the taxonomic categories and the common names of birds is important. Misspellings will be marked, but no points taken off on the first two song quizzes. Thereafter, misspellings will be marked ½ off and unrecognizable words will be marked full off. Spelling of generic and specific names must be underlined, to indicate they are italicized, to be correct. After the second quiz, generic and species names not underlined will have ½ points taken off. 1 Names must follow the course pack. 2 Points will be given as: 2 points for attendance, 1 point for having course pack, 2 points for effort.

6 Zoology 360 Fall 2004 Ornithology Resources Biology of Birds Many are listed in Appendix B of the Coursepack; the following are supplementary or updated. Professional Ornithological and Conservation Societies, Publications, Resources The latest edition of AOU s official Check-List of North American Birds is the 7 th Edition. Annual supplements are published in The Auk as updates. ( Birds of North America. Life Histories for the 21 st Century Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. ( (Individual accounts of the biology of North American birds) Ornithological Newsletter. Online resource listing jobs and research opportunities, requests for assistance, etc. ( Links to many ornithological sites from Smithsonian Institution Division of Birds Website ( BirdLife International: the world s largest organization devoted to bird conservation ( Handbook of the Birds of the World: del Hoyo et al., editors. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Highly acclaimed series, now up to Vol. 9, Pipits and Wagtails ( Dickinson, E.C. (ed.) The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. 3 rd Ed. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton. (The best new annotated world list, including subspecies) Local Nature Societies and Resources Michigan Audubon Society 6011 West St. Joseph Highway, Suite 403, P.O. Box 80527, Lansing, MI mas@michiganaudubon.org Newsletter, The Jack-Pine Warbler; journal, Michigan Birds and Natural History Capital Area Audubon Society P.O. Box 22065, Lansing, MI Michigan Bird Records Committee, Official Checklist of Michigan Birds, at Michigan Rare Bird Info line: To report local sightings: call Ted Black at or Fenner Nature Center at Wilson Ornithological Library, Division of Birds, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Ann Arbor. (The region s largest bird library, McWhirter, D.W. and D.L. Beaver Birds of the Capital Count Area of Michigan. Publ. Museum, MSU, Biol. Ser. 5(5). (Detailed analysis of each species status and chronology) Useful birding references Black, C. T., G. Kennedy, & T. Nordhagen Birds of Michigan. Lone Pine Publishing. Black, C. T. & C. R. Smith Bird finding guide to Michigan. Michigan Audubon Soc., Lansing. Kaufman, K Birds of North America. Houghton Mifflin, New York. (pocket-sized, photos) Sibley, D.A The Sibley Guide to birds. National Audubon Society. Knopf, New York. (covers all US in larger format) Sibley, D.A The Sibley field guide to birds of eastern North America. Knopf, New York. (pocket-sized, more limited coverage)

7 Zoology 360 Fall 2004 OPTIONAL Saturday or Sunday Field Trips Biology of Birds These trips are not required, and those who take part will not get extra points. However, the trips will help you learn field identification, natural history, and conservation aspects of birds, and they should be enjoyable. The purpose of the trips is to enhance your learning experience, and your participation is strongly encouraged. Given the timing of the course, we can t expect to see large numbers or a wide variety of landbirds. Some migrant passerines will be passing through in September and into October, the warblers earlier and sparrows later, but in general they are hard to see. Later in the fall, we will easily be able to see major concentrations of waterbirds. Early morning is best for landbirds but time of day is not important for most waterbirds. Sign up in advance and carpool (sharing minimal expenses); bring a friend if you like. Bring binoculars if possible, and (less important) telescope, video camera, and/or recording equipment. Wear field clothes (I recommend long sleeves and long pants, in layers), hat, etc. Be prepared for mud, poison ivy, biting insects. Your ideas on additional/alternative places/times are welcome. Notify instructor or TA of any potential problems, e.g. severe bee sting or poison ivy allergy. Local birding: Fenner Nature Center: Morning of Saturday or Sunday, September 11 or 12. This forested park is close to campus, and has good trails and facilities. We will be primarily looking for migrating songbirds; Wild Turkeys are likely. Rose Lake and/or Dansville: Saturday or Sunday, September These are extensive areas of forest, fields, and wetlands mosaics, and are well-known as birding sites. Rose Lake is near campus; Dansville is less than an hour away. Sandhill Cranes: afternoon/evening of 16 or 17 October (Sat or Sun), Baker Sanctuary (CraneFest is on 9-10 October). Several thousand cranes pass through the area in mid-october and create a truly spectacular visual and aural event. Pairs and family groups fly in to roost in the late afternoon, some right over viewer s heads. Some other wetlands birds can be seen here as well (including sometimes Bald Eagles). Maple River State Game Area: Saturday or Sunday, 23 or 24 October. This extensive marsh is about half an hour north of Lansing, along Hwy We should see a wide variety of waterfowl (possibly including Tundra Swans) and other marsh birds here. Detroit Zoo: Saturday, November 13, behind-the-scenes tour led by Tom Schneider. The Zoo has several species of penguins, wading birds, waterfowl, raptors, and cranes, among other groups---we have a list if anyone would like to see it.