Instructor: Dr. Peter
May, 156 Sage Hall, ext. 8189, e-mail - pmay@stetson.edu.
Office hours: 8-10,11-12 MW, 11-12 TTh, 1-4 Th, or by
appointment. You are welcome to drop in
whenever I’m in my office.
Course schedule: Lecture: 10:00 MW 144 Sage Hall Lab:
8:00-10:45 TTh 144 Sage Hall
All
laboratory periods, aside from those when tests are scheduled, will involve
field trips to local sites. Regular
attendance at lecture is expected, and excessive absence will result in loss of
points from your final grade. Attendance at field trips is mandatory. Three excused
(illness, family emergency) absences from field trips will be allowed, after
which subsequent absences will result in loss of points. We will leave promptly at 8:00, so be here on
time. If you miss a field trip due to
late arrival, it is considered an absence from that field trip.
No use of cell phones will be permitted
while we are in the field observing birds.
Textbooks, equipment: The main text is Ornithology, by Frank Gill
(3rd edition, 2007, W.H. Freeman and Co.). There will also be some assigned
readings from the primary literature.
These readings will be posted on Blackboard as .pdf files (requires
Adobe Acrobat reader).
In
addition, you will need a field guide to eastern birds (several good ones are
available at Amazon or any good bookstore, so I have not ordered them through
the campus bookstore), and a pair of binoculars. We'll talk about field guides
and choosing binoculars on the first day of class. Economy-level binoculars can be found for as
little as $25 at Wal-Mart, and will suffice, but cheap optics are not of
particularly high quality and are not very durable. With optical equipment, you get what you pay
for. Higher quality binoculars can cost
anywhere from around $75 to over $1000.
Course
materials will be posted on Blackboard at http://blackboard.stetson.edu/
). Some supplementary material will be
available on my website at http://www.stetson.edu/~pmay/ .
Course description: Lectures will
cover diverse aspects of avian biology, including anatomy, physiology,
evolution, classification, ecology, reproduction, and behavior. Laboratory
sessions (field trips) will focus on identification (by sight and sound),
taxonomy, natural history, and behavior of local species in their native
habitats.
Course requirements: Grades will be determined based on the following
components:
Lecture tests (2), final exam 40%
(12.5% each for during semester exams, 15% for final)
Lab practicals (identification)
(2) 20%
Field notes and summaries 20%
Research paper 20%
Letter
grades will be based on a 60-70-80-90 scale, with a curve applied if dictated
by the distribution of scores in the class.
I will give approximate letter grades on each test, but these are not
binding. Overall course grades are assigned based on the sum of your scores in
all of the above components. Make-up exams will be allowed only in the event of
a valid medical or family emergency. All
late work will be penalized at the rate of 10%/day. Work more than 5 class days late will not be
accepted.
Tests: Lecture tests and the final examination will draw on
material from both lecture and assigned readings; the laboratory practicals will be based on birds seen and identified by
the class during field trips, and will involve identification by sight as well
as vocalizations.
Lecture tests will be on Thursday,
September 27, and Thursday, November
1. The final exam will be on Wednesday, December 12, from 9-11 a.m.
Identification practicals will be on Tuesday,
October 9, and Tuesday, December 4.
Field notes: You are
expected to keep records of species seen on field trips, as well as
observations on which habitats they are observed in, and rough approximations
of relative abundance. These notes will
be organized into a field summary at the end of the semester. More specific
guidelines on what to do with these observations are attached.
Research paper: This
is a topic-oriented paper (i.e., not a report on a particular species or
taxonomic group) that reviews the primary literature on some specific aspect of
avian biology. It should be 8-10 pages
long, and include at least 10 primary
literature citations. You are to choose
a topic, conduct a literature search, and turn in a list of at least 10 primary literature references by October 1. An annotated
bibliography and paper outline
are due on November 14. You are required to turn in a hard (printed)
copy paper and electronic copy (saved as a Microsoft Word .doc file on disc).
Accomodations: Any student who feels that she or he may need an
accommodation based on a disability or medical condition should contact the
Academic Resources Center in 101 CUB (386.822.7127 or academicresources@stetson.edu),
and then see me to make arrangements based on the recommendations of the
Academir Resources Center.
Academic Integrity: All students
are expected to abide by the criteria of the Stetson University Honor System,
as specified in the Honor Pledge. The
Honor Pledge and other information about the Honor System can be found at http://www.stetson.edu/honorsystem/. Any instances of plagiarism, copying, or
cheating will be dealt with severely, and will result in at least the receipt
of a 0 for that assignment, but may include failure of the course.
SEQUENCE OF LECTURE TOPICS AND ASSIGNED
Topic
Introduction,
course requirements pp.
xxi-xxvi
General traits of birds Chapter
1
Feathers and molts
Chapter
4
Aerodynamics
Chapter 5
Avian anatomy and physiology – respiration, digestion, metabolism Chapter
6
Sensory systems and intelligence Chapter
7
Sound production and vocalizations
Chapter 8
Mate selection and breeding systems Chapters
12,13
Annual cycles of birds Chapter
9
Migration and navigation
Chapter 10
Evolution of birds
Chapter
2
Reproductive physiology
Chapter 14
Nesting behavior
Chapter 15
Parental care Chapter
16
Avian life histories and demography
Chapter 20
Social behavior
Chapter 11
Populations Chapter
18
Speciation Chapter
19
Community ecology and organization Chapter 20
Conservation of birds Chapter 21
We
will also cover Taxonomy of Florida birds, emphasizing the distinguishing
traits of the Orders and major Families of birds found in
We will not have time to complete all of these topics by the end of the semester. If any of the topics listed later in the
sequence are of particular interest to anyone in the class, let me know and I will
modify the schedule to make sure we cover the topics that are of most interest
to you.
CRITICAL DATES:
Thursday, September 27 - First lecture test
Monday, October 1 - Research paper topic
and reference list due.
Tuesday, October 9 – First identification practical
Thursday, November 1 - Second lecture
test
Wednesday, November 14 – Annotated bibliography, paper outline due.
Tuesday, December 4 – Second
identification practical.
Monday, December 10 - Research paper,
field notes due.
Wednesday, May 12, 9-11 a.m. - Final examination
REQUIREMENTS FOR FIELD NOTES
Time spent in the field and the
observations made there constitute the largest time component of this
course. Accordingly, I would like you to
keep detailed records of what birds we observe and the ecological context in
which they are found.
On each trip, you should
keep field notes (or oral records on tape/digital recorder) that include the date, the species observed by the class (even if you didn't clearly see each
species), the estimated number of
individuals of that species observed, and the habitat(s) in which the species was observed.
At the end of the semester,
you should organize your field records in a manner that efficiently but fully
summarizes this information about the biology and phenology of the birds
observed. THE SPECIFIC FORMAT IN WHICH YOU
PRESENT YOUR NOTES IS UP TO YOU, but your presentation should include
the following:
1) Species accounts - for each species observed during the semester, you should include a
summary page (or section) including the following information:
a) the range of dates observed
b) the specific habitats in which it
was observed
c) some simple measure (as defined by
you) of relative abundance
for example - uncommon - only
seen occasionally or in small numbers in appropriate habitat
common
- usually seen in small numbers in
appropriate habitat
abundant -
usually seen in large numbers in appropriate habitat
(This is just an example. Consult
any checklist, such as those from National Wildlife Refuge pamphlets or
websites, for alternative systems).
d) Seasonal status of each species: Do
field guides or other sources list this species as a summer resident, fall
migrant only, winter resident, permanent resident, or some other status (rare,
irregular)? Do your sightings agree or
conflict with this published information? In other words, did you observe each
species in a time of year when it would be expected here?
In all species lists, the sequence of species should
be accepted taxonomic order (i.e., in the sequence presented in a typical field
guide or checklist - primitive orders first, then more advanced orders: Loons,
grebes, Pelicans, Wading Birds, Waterfowl, Rails and Coots, Shorebirds, etc.). Do not present alphabetical lists of
species names.
2) Species diversity and habitat. For each
habitat type (i.e., hammock, flatwoods, scrub, agricultural, etc. - you decide
on how you wish to classify the habitats, but it should be a comprehensive and
biologically meaningful categorization), provide the following information:
a) a cumulative list of all
species seen in each habitat during the entire semester
b) average # of species seen
in a particular habitat on each trip (for example, if we saw 12 species in pine
flatwoods on Trip 2, 16 species on Trip 8, and 18 species on Trip 12, the
average would be (12 + 16 + 18)/3, or 15.3.)
Prepare bar graphs of the data from a) and b)
comparing each of the habitat types.
c) seasonal trends in diversity: for
each habitat type, did the number of species increase or decrease between the
late summer/fall migration/winter periods?
Prepare a graph plotting the number of species seen
in each habitat vs. dates that habitat was visited.
Examine these data and
graphs and try to explain any obvious trends, and then try explain any patterns
in terms of the behavior or biology of the particular species in each
habitat. Informed speculation is
welcomed. Do habitats with highest
diversity tend to have more species within most or all taxonomic groups, or
just within one or a few? For example,
do habitats with high diversity tend to have more non-passerines, more
passerines, or both? How are differences in diversity and seasonal changes in
diversity related to the occurrence of individual species and their migratory
status? Are differences in these
parameters between habitats primarily due to arrival or departure of migrants,
or due to other (perhaps unknown) factors, such as poor observing conditions?
3) Individual trip summaries.
For each field trip, you
should provide a list of all species seen (total diversity) and the estimated
number (abundance) of each.
Prepare a graph plotting total diversity of each trip
vs. date to examine seasonal changes
in overall diversity. Be aware that a
number of other factors besides seasonal changes might affect the number of
species seen on any particular day, such as weather conditions, number of
habitats visited on that trip, etc.
Can you identify any trends
or patterns? Try to explain them in terms of the biology or behavior of the
relevant species.
Does total diversity appear
to show a consistent change through the semester? How is total diversity related to the number
of different habitats visited on each trip?
How are changes in diversity over the course of the semester related to
migratory patterns of individual species?
4) Seasonal changes in overall abundance. Using the data on numbers of individual birds seen,
calculate the total number of individual birds (of all species) seen on each
trip (total abundance), and average abundance per species (total
abundance/total # of species seen on that trip).
Prepare 2 graphs, plotting a) total abundance, and b)
average abundance per species vs. date.
Do these graphs illustrate
any clear trends or changes in bird abundance?
How is this related to species diversity (more species à more individual birds) vs. changes in abundance of
individual species? Do these changes
seem to be due to migratory patterns of particular species (i.e., arrival of
fall migrants and winter residents), changes in abundance of permanent
residents, or both?
Preparation of these field notebooks will require a
substantial investment of time at the end of the semester. Try to budget
your time accordingly. If you finish
writing your research paper a week or two before the end of the semester, you
can devote more of your time to preparation of the notebook once all the field
data have been collected. Keeping your observations well-organized and
recorded in a Spreadsheet or Database during the semester will reduce your
workload at the end of the semester.
You may cooperate in the
collection of the data in the field (i.e., one person can keep track of the
birds seen and then provide that information to others). You may also work cooperatively in examining
the data for trends and patterns, and discussion of the likely causes of those
trends. However, all written work you turn in (including lists, tables, graphics, etc.)
should be your own independent work. Violation of this policy will be considered
plagiarism and treated accordingly.