Ornithology
BIOL 490/486
Spring 2008
Dr. Philip D. Sudman
Office: SCPL 408
968-9154;
sudman@tarleton.edu
Lecture: MWF
8:00-8:50, 112 SC
Lab: W 2:00-4:50, 404 SC
Textbook: Gill,
F. B. Ornithology, 3rd Edition,
W.H. Freeman, New York.
ISBN
978-0-7167-4983-7
Lab Text: Any
book on the birds of North America.
Lots of choices!
COURSE OBJECTIVES: This
course is designed so that the student will achieve a general understanding of
the life of birds and how they function and interact with their
environment. Included will be
information related to ecology, anatomy, physiology, behavior, evolution, and systematics. The laboratory portion of the course
will be primarily devoted to avian anatomy and identification/classification of
our local avian fauna. At least
four Friday morning field trips will be scheduled throughout the semester to
observe birds and participation in at least 3 of these trips is required. A weekend long trip is also planned
to Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area in early April - more details
later in the semester.
TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE:
|
Date |
Topic |
Chapters |
|
Jan. 14-18 |
Introduction, Adaptations for
Flight |
1, 5 |
|
Jan. 23-25 |
Origin & Evolution |
2 |
|
Jan. 30-Feb. 1 |
Systematics & Taxonomy |
3 |
|
Feb. 4-6 |
Feathers, Skeletal &
Muscular systems |
4, 5 |
|
Feb. 13-15 |
Circulatory & Respiratory
systems |
6 |
|
Feb. 18-22 |
Digestive & Urogenital
systems |
14, 6 |
|
Feb. 25-29 |
Nervous & Endocrine systems |
7, 9 |
|
March 3-7 |
Metabolism & Energetics |
6 |
|
March 10-14 |
Catch up and review! |
|
|
March 17-21 |
SPRING BREAK |
|
|
March 24-28 |
Behavior & Songs |
7, 8, 11 |
|
March 31-April 4 |
Feeding Adaptations |
6 |
|
April 9-11 |
Mating Systems etc. |
12, 13 |
|
April 14-18 |
Eggs, Incubation, Brood
Parasitism |
14, 15, 13 |
|
April 21-25 |
Clutch Size, Parental Care.
Migration |
16,17, 10 |
|
April 28-30 |
Population Ecology &
Conservation |
18, 21 |
Test Dates:
Feb. 11th; March 5th;
April 7th
Final Exam Wednesday, May 7th 3:00--5:30
EXAM #1 Review Ð the
first exam is scheduled for 11 February 2008
EXAM#2 Review Ð second
exam is scheduled for 5 March 2008
EXAM#3 Review Ð exam 3 is
rescheduled for 9 April 2008
Final Review Ð 3:00 May 7th