Ornithology

Catalog description

This three credit upper-level undergraduate elective is classified as an ?Organismal? course, supported by field trips and independent field observations. Additional requirements are needed to fulfill the graduate course requirements. This course will explore the evolutionary origins, diversity, life history, behavior, ecology, anatomy and physiology of members of the class Aves. An introduction to modern research methods and formal field observations will be provided through lecture, discussion of the scientific literature and hands-on activities. Visual and auditory bird identification skills will be enhanced through field observations, audio recordings and the study of museum specimens. Avian examples will be used to reveal general biological principles that can relate to a variety of living organisms. The graduate version of this course has additional assignments and expectations. Prerequisite: C or better in BIOL 111/112 or 115/117