SYLLABUS
IB 461
Ornithology
http://www.life.uiuc.edu/ib/461/
11:00 – 11:50 (Monday, Wednesday, & Friday)
162 Noyes Lab
Instructor:
Dr. Michael P. Ward
N415 Turner Hall
244-4089
Lab (8:00 or earlier – 10:50)
Monday & Tuesday
TA:
Nicole Davros
408 NHB (Lab)
201 Vivarium (Office)
333-2235
Description: This course includes lectures, laboratories, and field trips. The lecture will cover topics from the evolution of birds to the conservation of local species. The labs and field trips will introduce students to the birds of Illinois.
Text: Ornithology, 3nd ed. 2006. F. B. Gill
Field Guide: Birds of Eastern and Central North America 5th ed. 2002
Peterson or Sibley Guide
Date Topic Text Chapters
1/19 Introduction
1/21 The Diversity of Birds 1
1/24 Origin & Evolution of Birds 2
1/26 Origin & Evolution of Birds 2
1/28 Phylogenetics / Systematics 3
1/31 Feathers & Flight 4&5
2/2 SNOW DAY
2/4 Feathers & Flight 4&5
2/7 Physiology 6
2/9 Physiology 6
2/11 Brain, intelligence, & senses 7
2/14 Brain, intelligence, & senses 7
2/16 Annual Cycles 9
2/18 Exam 1
2/21 Speciation (Balakrishnan)
2/23 Social Behavior 11
2/25 Social Behavior 11
2/28 Breeding System 12
3/2 Vocal Communication (Enstrom) 8
3/4 Breeding Systems 12
3/7 Nests 12
3/9 Migration 10
3/11 Navigation 10
3/14 Stopover Ecology 11
3/16 Communities 20
3/18 Populations 17
3/28 Population Dynamics 17
3/30 Application of Population Dynamics
4/1 Exam 2 18
4/4 Species Conservation 19
4/6 Cowbirds (Dr. Hoover)
4/8 Behavioral Conservation
4/11 100-year Bird Survey
4/13 Habitat specific Issues
4/15 Ag Policy and Bird Conservation
4/18 Local Grassroot Conservation
4/20 Global Conservation 21
4/22 Future and Careers in Ornithology
4/25 Presentations
4/27 Presentations
4/29 No class
5/2 Presentations
5/4 Presentations / Review
5/13 Final Exam @ 8:00 AM
Grading
3 lecture exams @ 100 point each 300
2 lab exams @ 100 points each 200
1 field practical 50
1 field journal 50
Review (Presentations) 50
Review – Teams of two (only one grad student per team) will write a paper no longer than five pages (single spaced, not including references), reviewing a topic in ornithology. Examples of these topics: local conservation issues, the evolution of birds, sexual selection, speciation in galliformes, intelligence in birds, skewed sex ratios in birds. I will provide future direction in late February.