Syllabus - Trent University

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
TRENT UNIVERSITY
BIOL4140 : ORNITHOLOGY
2012-13 FALL
Peterborough
Instructor: Erica Nol Email: enol@trentu.ca Telephone: 705-748-1011 x 7640
Campus: Peterborough Office Location: LHS D235 Office Hours: THURS 11:00-
12:00 or by appointment
Secretary: Sandra Sisson
Office Location: LHS D102
Email: ssisson@trentu.ca
Telephone: 705-748-1011 x7424
Teaching Assistant: Devin Turner
Teaching Assistant: Greg Rand
Email:devinturner@trentu.ca
Email:gregrand@trentu.ca
Course Description:
This course is an introduction to the study of birds, including their evolutionary history, diversity,
physiology, anatomy, ecology, behaviour and conservation. The laboratory sessions are field-oriented,
with the primary goal of providing students with the skills necessary to identify birds in the field, a
pre-requisite for most studies in ornithology. The workshops include discussions of molecular
evolution and systematics, parental care and conservation. The course also includes two mandatory
field trips: Presqu'ile Provincial Park, where the diversity of Ontario birds and their habitats will be the
focus, and a day-long trip to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario, a world-class research
facility for the study of birds.
Course Fees: $50 for field trips and access to ROM.
Course Format:
Lecture: Friday 09:00-10:50, SC 103
Laboratory: Wednesday 08:00-10:00, DNA D108. Except for quiz days, meet at the entrance to the
L&HS Building (DNA-D).
Workshops: Wednesday 10:00-11:50, DNA D108 (See outline for schedule for Sections A and B).

Course Evaluation (see details below for due dates):
Examinations: Final exam during December examination period will be based on lecture, textbook
and workshop material: will also include a 20% component (of exam) on the taxonomy of birds-see
American Ornithologists Union website (www.aou.org) for current taxonomy of North American
birds). MyTrent also has a list of the Orders and Families required for the final exam.
Book review: 6%
Field quizzes: (3 @ 6% each): 18%
ROM laboratory write-up with peer-review: 20%
Participation in field trip to
Presqu'ile Provincial Park: 2%
Participation in weekly labs: 6%
Library workshop 1%
Course project: 19%
New media participation 3%
Final exam 25%
TOTAL: 100%
FIELD TRIPS: Our first field trip (Sunday, 23 September 2012 leave BATA LIBRARY at 6:30
am, return by 4:30 pm) will be to Presqu’ile Provincial Park, a park with many varied habitats but
notable for landbird, waterfowl and shorebird migration. Students need to pack a lunch. The second
field trip will be to the Royal Ontario Museum, scheduled for Wednesday, 17 October 2012, leaving
at 8:00 a.m. from campus (BATA LIBRARY) (8:15 from corner of George and Parkhill), leaving
Toronto at 2:30 p.m. Lunch can be purchased or packed. There will be a $50.00 total cost for
transportation to both Presqu’ile Park and the Royal Ontario Museum. This cost also includes
admission to the exhibits of the museum. This must be paid in cash or money order to the instructor
on or before Friday, 21 September 2012.
DETAILS AND DUE DATES OF EACH COMPONENT:
BOOK REVIEW: A book review on one of the natural history books suggested during the first
lecture (or see list on MyTrent) is due on Friday, 5 October 2012. Please place assignment in course
drop box (outside Biology Office (ESB Suite A211). See current issues of THE AUK, or THE
CONDOR (both in the library and on BIOONE on the internet), for examples of book reviews. Book
reviews should be 3-5 pages in length. Students can choose to have a 15-minute interview with the
instructor discussing the book, in lieu of a written report. These must be scheduled during the week of
24-28 September (email Professor for appointment). There are a limited number of times so these will
be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.
COURSE PROJECT: This project is due on Thursday, 19 October 2012 (no extensions; please put
assignment in course drop box). The project can consist of (1) a traditional essay on any ornithological
topic that you wish, written at the fourth-year level, or (2) an annotated bibliography of a particular
species of bird, including a minimum of 25 references, but ideally including a comprehensive search of
the literature. Guidelines for the annotated bibliography are also provided on BLACKBOARD
LEARNING 9. All assignments must be submitted in hard (paper) and electronic versions (by email to
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enol@trentu.ca). Please note that a cover page is not required, references can be single-spaced and
margins should be 0.75" (conforming with Sustainable Trent guidelines for conserving paper).
ROM LABORATORY WRITE-UP:
This assignment will be written in the style of a short scientific paper. It should be about 5-8 pages in
length. The first draft is due on Friday, 9 November 2012 during lecture! It is critical that
students provide the first draft on this date. Please remove names from papers. These papers
will be peer-reviewed so on this date you will be handed another students' paper. This peer review is
due in lecture on Friday, 16 November 2012. As with the course project, extensions are not
allowed, except with a medical excuse. The mark will be based on the final product after one round of
peer-review. Revisions are due the following Friday, 23 November 2012. Use Sustainable Trent
guidelines as above.
QUIZZES:
Quizzes will be held Wednesdays, 3 October, 7 November and 5 December. Quizzes will include
slide shows, some study specimens and wild birds. Bird walks will follow quizzes. Quizzes will be on
all species of birds seen to date and included on master list posted on BLACKBOARD LEARNING 9.
NEW MEDIA PARTICIPATION:
Students should sign-up for an eBird account and record all birds seen throughout the term. This
valuable resource records locations and dates of all sightings and will soon become an important
biogeographic tool.
University Policies
Academic Integrity:
Academic dishonesty, which includes plagiarism and cheating, is an extremely serious academic
offence and carries penalties varying from a 0 grade on an assignment to expulsion from the
University. Definitions, penalties, and procedures for dealing with plagiarism and cheating are set out
in Trent University’s Academic Integrity Policy. You have a responsibility to educate yourself –
unfamiliarity with the policy is not an excuse. You are strongly encouraged to visit Trent’s Academic
Integrity website to learn more: www.trentu.ca/academicintegrity.
Access to Instruction:
It is Trent University's intent to create an inclusive learning environment. If a student has a disability
and/or health consideration and feels that he/she may need accommodations to succeed in this course,
the student should contact the Disability Services Office (BH 132, 748-1281,
disabilityservices@trentu.ca) as soon as possible. Complete text can be found under Access to
Instruction in the Academic Calendar.
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Monday’s Date Wednesday workshop topics/ quiz Friday lecture topics
schedule
3 September No workshop Why birds?
10 September Internet resources for ornithology, A: Origin of birds
10 am, B-11 am. Bata Library TBA
17 September Molecular systematics – A Diversity of birds and flight
mechanics
24 September Molecular systematics – B Reproduction
1 October Quiz # 1. Morphometric preparation – Migration and navigation
A:10 am.
8 October Morphometric preparation –B:10 am Energetics and physiology
Thanksgiving
15 October ROM trip Brains and senses
22 October UNIVERSITY READING WEEK
29 October Group A: 10 am, Group B: 11 am.
Bring data for ROM analyses.
Vocal communication and
evolution of song, visual
communication (film)
5 November Quiz # 2. Developmental modes – A Population biology
12 November Developmental modes – B Communities of birds
19 November Population viability analyses. A Parental care systems
(film)
26 November Population viability analyses. B Exam review +
Conservation of birds
(film)
3 December Quiz # 3. Grad student
No lecture.
presentations.
Note: A and B refer to repeat workshops by two groups of students.
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