ESRM 456 Biology and Conservation of Birds
Professor: John Marzluff
Office: 123 E Anderson Hall
Phone: 206 616 6883
Email: corvid@u.washington.edu
Class Meets Mondays and Wednesday 12:30-1:50 in Condon Hall, Room 139
Course Learning Goals are to:1) introduce you to the science of ornithology with emphasis on the ecology, evolution, behavior, and conservation of birds, 2) immerse you in the scientific literature written about birds, 3) develop your critical thinking and scientific writing skills, 4) increase your understanding of local, regional, and global conservation issues, and 5) improve your ability to work in interdisciplinary settings to solve problems.
My Teaching Approach is to combine lecture, discussion, and workgroup activities. The general approach is to use cooperative learning through interaction between students and instructors and especially among students. I assume that all students will read the required scientific papers, lecture notes, and other assigned material BEFORE each class meeting. In many cases, the success of a student team will depend on the full participation of each team member. Your commitment to do the required readings, attend and participate in class will enable us to have focused discussions that explore scientific literature and concepts more effectively.
Lecture Materials and Assigned Readings are available electronically by following the links in the schedule below. YouTube has video files from David Attenborough’s The Life of Birds, which can be found of the web.
The Required Texts are: Ornithology, 1st Edition by Michael Morrison etal. and Welcome to Subirdia by John Marzluff. These are available at the UW Bookstore, local bookstores, and at online outlets.
COURSE GRADES will be determined by a combination of assignments and tests.
CRITICAL THOUGHT EXERCISES (~100 Points). Throughout the quarter I will provide materials for you to evaluate (e.g., conservation plans, scientific papers, etc) and discuss. Each student will turn in a 1 page summary of their review and discussion. There will be 3-5 assignments worth 20-30 points each.
MIDTERM EXAM (100 Points). My exams include long essay and discussion problems. The midterm will include all material covered up to that point and will be a take-home exam.
FINAL EXAM (Thursday, DEC 13, 830am, Condon 139; 200 Points). The final exam will be in class and comprehensive.
RESEARCH PAPER (due NOVEMBER 28; 100 Points). Feel free to turn this in early! You can choose the topic of your choice that involves bird biology or avian conservation and write a research paper that reviews and synthesizes the relevant scientific literature. Use standard format for scientific paper (e.g., look at format of a review article in the journal The Condor). Cite primary references appropriately. DO NOT RELAY ON WEB, OR SECODARY SOURCES. Pose questions for future study. No more than 5 pages in length (double spaced, 12pt font), not including references or tables/figures.
Grades are assigned as follows, based on a grand total of 500 points:
95% and higher = 4.0
90% = 3.5
80% = 2.5
70% = 1.5, etc.
Lecture Schedule
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Date |
Topic with Link to Notes |
Reading Assignments |
Video Assignment (Life of Birds, on YouTube and others) |
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Wed. Sept. 26 |
No Class, but see assignments |
Morrison, Chapters 1, 29 |
To Fly or Not to Fly |
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Mon. Oct. 1 |
Morrison, Chapter 2 |
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Wed. Oct. 3 |
Morrison, Chapter 4 |
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Mon. Oct. 8 |
No Lecture, but see assignments |
Morrison, Chapter 5 |
The Demands of the Egg |
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Wed. Oct. 10 |
Morrison, Chapter 3 |
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Mon. Oct 15 |
Avian Extinction and Important Threats to the Conservation of Birds |
Morrison, Chapter 25, 27 |
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Wed. Oct 17 |
Marzluff Chapter 1, 6 |
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Mon. Oct 22 |
Morrison, Chapters 9, 10, 11 |
Mastery of Flight |
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Wed. Oct. 24 |
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Mon. Oct. 29 |
No Class, but see assignments |
Morrison, Chapter 26 |
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Wed. Oct. 31 |
Morrison, Chapters 5, 7, 8 |
The Insatiable Appetite |
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Mon. Nov 5 |
Morrison, Chapters 6, 13 |
Fishing for a Living |
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Wed. Nov. 7 |
Continue Intelligence and connect it with conservation |
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Mon. Nov. 12 |
Holiday, No Class |
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Wed. Nov 14 |
Marzluff Chapter 2-4, 9, 10 |
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Mon. Nov. 19 |
MIDTERM DUE Morrison, Chapter 14 |
The Eloquent Communicators |
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Wed. Nov. 21 |
Morrison, Chapters 12, 19 |
The Limits of Endurance |
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Mon. Nov. 26 |
Morrison, Chapters 16, 17 |
Finding Partners |
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Wed. Nov. 28 |
Continue Breeding etc. |
Marzluff Chapter 5 RESEARCH PAPER DUE |
The Problems of Parenthood |
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Mon. Dec. 3 |
Morrison, Chapters 21, 23 |
Meat Eaters |
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Wed. Dec. 5 |
Morrison, Chapters 24, 26, 27, 28 |
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