ORNITHOLOGY BIOL

Transcription

1 ORNITHOLOGY BIOL Instructor: Dr. G.R. Bortolotti Demonstrator: Mr. Tyler Flockhart Room 318, Biology Room 304, Biology Office Hours: Afternoons preferred, drop in or call for an appointment. Texts: Required: Podulka, S., R.W. Rohrbaugh, Jr., and R. Bonney (eds). Handbook of Bird Biology. Cornell Lab of Ornithology Required: A field guide of your choice. Suggested companion: Elphick, C., J.B. Dunning, Jr., and D.A. Sibley (eds) The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Random House, Canada Ehrlich, R.R., D.S. Dobkin and D. Wheye The Birder s Handbook. Simon & Schuster Inc. Evaluation: Mid-term exam - 25%, on 25 October (lab period) Final exam - 30% Lab exam - 20%, on 15 November Term paper - text 15%, due on 22 November Term paper - presentation 5% Log book - 5% NOTE: A penalty of 10% per day will apply to assignments that are not handed in on time. Students are required to complete all exams and assignments in order to receive a final grade. Lecture Topics Introduction to Ornithology Evolution Phylogeny, speciation and geographic variation Morphology and anatomy Flight and feathers Physiology Reproduction Behaviour

2 Labs and Field Trips Lab Date Content 1 Sept morphology and evolution 2 Sept morphology (bring lab coat if desired) 3 Sept study skins Ratites (incl. Tinamiformes), Galliformes, Sphenisciformes 4 Oct. 4 - field trip 5 Oct study skins Charadriiformes, Procellariiformes, Ciconiiformes, Gruiformes 6 Oct study skins Anseriformes, Podicipediformes, Pelecaniformes, Gaviiformes 7 Oct. 25 MID-TERM EXAM (2 hrs) 8 Nov. 1 - study skins Falconiformes, Strigiformes, Psittaciformes, Columbiformes, Caprimulgiformes 9 Nov. 8 - study skins Cuculiformes, Apodiformes, Coraciformes, Piciformes, Passeriformes 10 Nov. 15 LAB EXAM 11 Nov student presentations 12 Nov student presentations and review Field Trip(s) (contingent upon weather) Oct. 4-13:30-17:30, be prepared Bring field guide, binoculars and appropriate clothing and footwear.

3 Field Book You are to keep a written record of at least 30 different species of birds found in Saskatchewan. This exercise is intended to help you learn how to identify birds, and to draw your attention to their behaviour and varied use of habitats. Do not include individual birds seen while on field trips or seen prior to the beginning of this class (you may record the species seen on other occasions). Failure to follow directions exactly will result in a loss of marks. Directions on how to keep records. 1) Write in pencil in a small notebook - preferably a surveyor s book. 2) Write legibly. 3) For each observation, include the date, time of day, general weather conditions (approximate wind speed, cloud cover, temperature, lighting, general day type), specific location, and habitat. 4) When you encounter a bird, list distinguishing features (that you actually see!) or draw a sketch. For example, note its size, shape, bill shape and colours. Does it have tail spots? Wing bars? Eye rings? Rump patches? Refer to field guides for helpful hints on describing birds. 5) Describe the bird s behaviour. Does it bob its head, flick its tail, etc.? Did it vocalize (if so, what did it sound like?) Was the bird feeding? Was it alone or in a flock? 6) If there are similar-looking species, tell us how you were certain of your identification. 7) This is a field book and as such should look like one. The notes you make should be as you recorded them in the field and not copied out just before you hand it in. These directions are just some of the things you could be recording. Feel free to add to this list. The log book is to be handed in no later than the last lecture. Just before handing in your log, count up the number of species in the book and write down the total on the last page. NOTE: This is a field book; therefore, use it in the field! Do not copy notes (e.g., for the sake of neatness) into another book to hand in. Do it right the first time.

4 Term Paper and Presentation Length: approximately 10 pages double-spaced and typed Date due: 22 November The topic is anthropogenic effects on birds. The objective of this exercise is to achieve a better understanding of the diversity of ways in which humans have an effect on birds and bird populations. Each student is to choose one of the subject areas listed below or another of their choosing that has been approved by the instructors (notify me, first come first serve). Each of the topics will have to be narrowed down; however, the paper and presentation should include a broad overview of the subject in the Introduction, plus a meaningful and detailed account of the phenomenon. Feel free to discuss your ideas with the instructors. Important note: Primary sources (i.e., the ornithological literature, not textbooks) must be your major source of information. In general, web sites do not contain information that is suitable for most essays (see my suggestions in the document PRIMARY LITERATURE SEARCHING FOR BIOLOGY UNDERGRADS ). The information is often shallow, lacks context, is of limited scope and is not peer reviewed. Your paper must be well organized with multiple subheadings, and contain a Literature Cited section listing only those papers to which you have actually referred. In addition to the written paper, an oral presentation on the subject of the essay is required. Each student is to prepare a 10 min presentation complete with overheads, or slides, or a PowerPoint presentation. There will be a 5 min period after each talk for questions and discussion. The presentations will be given during the last two lab periods and attendance by all students is mandatory. - effect of toxins on survival or reproduction (choose one of e.g., lead shot, lead sinkers, pesticides, industrial pollutants, radioactivity) - effect of forestry operations (e.g., loss of old growth forest, fragmentation, loss of snags) - effect of agriculture (e.g., habitat loss, fragmentation, coffee plantations - mortality due to commercial fishing operations - legal or illegal commercial exploitation (e.g. pet trade, falconry, plumes for artefacts) - intentional depredation by humans (e.g., hunting, illegal shooting, avicides in agriculture) - predation by introduced species (e.g., cats) - competition with introduced species (e.g., starlings) - disease problems created as a result of human activity - collision with motor vehicles - collision with windows, power line etc. - research activity - electrocution - trap/poison (e.g., set out for wolves or furbearers) - various pollutants/environmental problems (e.g., oil spills, acid rain) - loss of food supply (e.g., from overfishing)

5 Plagiarism: The University considers plagiarism to be academic dishonesty, as per the Student Academic Dishonesty Rules of the University of Saskatchewan Council ( Plagiarism: the presentation of the work or idea of another in such a way as to give others the impression that it is the work or idea of the presenter. There is an onus on every student to become informed as to what does or does not constitute plagiarism. Ignorance of applicable standards of ethical writing is not an acceptable excuse. The critical consideration is the impression created in the mind of the others, not the subjective intent of the student. This determination involves an objective evaluation of the manuscript. No intent to deceive is required to establish plagiarism. Adequate attribution is required. What is essential is that another person have no doubt which words or research results are the student's and which are drawn from other sources. Full explicit acknowledgement of the source of the material is required. Examples of plagiarism are: i. The use of material received or purchased from another person or prepared by any person other than the individual claiming to be the author. [It is not plagiarism to use work developed in the context of a group exercise (and described as such in the text) if the mode and extent of the use does not deviate from that which is specifically authorized]. ii. The verbatim use of oral or written material without adequate attribution. iii. The paraphrasing of oral or written material of other persons without adequate attribution. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and students must follow the University s Guidelines for Academic Honesty ( Deferred Examinations: A student missing an examination must contact the instructor, in person or by , within 3 working days of the scheduled exam, in order to present the necessary documentation explaining the student s absence at the exam, and to initiate discussion concerning a possible deferred exam. Otherwise, a grade of zero will be assigned for the missed exam.