Course Synopsis:

 The objective of this course is to provide students with a thorough understanding of the origins and biology of birds.  The lectures cover the following topics:

Grading scheme differs for graduate and undergraduate sections.

If you are a graduate student click here

If you are an undergraduate click here
 

       You will be expected to write a detailed account on a specific research topic that deals directly with birds (you must narrow your topic to deal with a specific aspect of avian research).  Scan through current scientific journals for potential essay topics.  Suggested journals to look through are:  Auk, Animal Behavior, Condor, American Naturalist, American Midland Naturalist, Ecology, and Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics.  You may find others useful as well.  Three quarters of the references used in your paper must come from primary sources and must be less than 10 years old.  Do not use any non-refereed journals (e.g. Time magazine, Life magazine, or any other magazine that does not provide bibliographic information and source references).  You will find that your textbook is an excellent starting point for looking for an essay topic.  There are also a number of excellent books in the library.  These books will provide references for you to follow up the topic with, but don't forget to consult more current sources using the library facilities.  You should also make full use of the indexing services offered by the library.  Make sure your topic can be adequately written within the page limit of the assignment.  If you have even the slightest doubt about the suitability of a topic, do not hesitate to consult me.

About halfway through the semester you will turn in a point by point outline of the major topics to be discussed in your paper.  The outline will be worth a portion of your final grade, should be 2 - 5 pages in length, and should include at least 5 major references cited in typical scientific format (the outline will serve as guide for you when researching your paper and will allow me to assess the suitability of your topic).        During the last week of classes, if you are a graduate student, you will give a 15 minute oral presentation of your topic to the class.  This presentation should make full use of available audio/visual equipment (overheads, powerpoint, etc.).  For your own benefit, you should try to have your paper completed prior to your presentation (though this is not necessary).

      Your final paper must be typewritten (double-spaced, 10 CPI type, 1" margins).  People often lose points for failing to properly cite their sources of information.  You must cite all sources of information including sources used for figures and tables.  Copying of material, whether, whether parts of sentences, whole sentences, paragraphs, or entire articles, will result in a score of zero for your essay.  There should be at least 1 reference per typewritten page (i.e. if you write a 20 page essay you should have about 20 different sources of information).  Cite all references in the body of your paper and in a literature cited section at the back  Use scientific journal format.  Consult a journal (e.g. Auk, Condor, Animal Behavior) or consult me to see how this is done. Make the fullest possible use of the library facilities.  Use only current references from primary sources if possible.  Use ample figures and tables (figures and tables do not count in determining the length of the paper but contribute significantly to determining how well you do on your paper).  Do not use direct quotes (you will lose marks for doing so).  Your essay mark will be based largely on how thoroughly you have covered your topic.  Therefore, be very concise and avoid verbosity and redundancy.  Pay attention to your spelling and grammar.  If you have questions, please talk to me.

      Looking for literature sources? click here

Obligatory Statements:

 Plagiarism is a criminal activity.  You must cite all sources of information.  Copying of material, whether parts of sentences, whole sentences, paragraphs, or entire articles, will result in a score of zero for your assignment and can result in further disciplinary action. 

 Students with Disabilities:

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities.  Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation fo their disabilities.  If you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact:

 All student enrolled at the University shall follow the tenets of common decency and acceptable behavior conducive to a positive learning environment.  See Student's Guide Handbook, Policies and Procedures, Conduct. 

Students who are disruptive to class activities will be dropped from the class and may face further disciplinary action.