FRS 001A —
Sec. 001 —
(1 unit) — CRN 76127 — T 9:00-11:50am — 3002 LSA
Field Identification of Birds a.k.a. Birdwatching
Instructor: Peter Armstrong, Department of Molecular &
Cellular Biology,
Division of Biological Sciences
Description: The seminar will concentrate on
improving the students’
skills for identifying wild birds in the field (birdwatching) and will consist
a mix of field trips conducted on the Davis campus and nearby, and
student classroom
presentations on avian identification and social and cultural issues related to
birdwatching. We will also discuss matters of preparing records of
field observations,
planning trips to exotic destinations with the goal of finding new
bird species,
and the equipment used for birdwatching. A class project will consist
of the development
of a course web-site providing detailed descriptions of birding in
Davis and environs.
Format: The class will consist of a mix of 1-hour
classroom sessions
to practice bird identification and for the delivery of student presentations,
and 3 hour field trips to find and identify the wide variety of bird
species found
on and in the vicinity of the Davis campus. The classroom sessions
would involve
discussion of problems of avian identification using PowerPoint presentations
of illustrations and the field trips would involve the class walking
or bicycling
about to look for interesting birds. All class members would be
expected to keep
a list of bird species identified outside of the regularly scheduled
class field
trips. Each class member will also be expected to develop a short presentation
to be delivered to the class on identification problems presented by
a particular
group of birds (i.e., raptors, Epidonax flycatchers, etc.) or on one
of a variety
of social issues related to birdwatching.
Grading: Course
grades will be assigned on the basis of student effort - the extent
to which the
student shows improvement in avian identification skills, on the oral
report outlined
above, and on the contribution to the course web-site.
Special requirements: All students of the course
will be required
to have a pair of binoculars to be used on the field trips.
About the Instructor: Professor Armstrong has been an active
birdwatcher since the age of 10, has been an active member of the Yolo Audubon
Society since its founding, and rates his skill level in field identification
of birds as “advanced.” He has extensive experience in
leading graduate
seminar courses.
Course Text: To be determined.