BIO433 Ornithological Methods (8)
CSU Discipline Area: Biological Sciences (BILSC)
Duration: One session
Abstract:
In this subject students are introduced to a range of study methods to commence a career as a professional ornithologist or to augment your involvement in amateur ornithological pursuits. They build on their existing ecological knowledge and learn how to undertake rigorous, sophisticated data collection, analysis and interpretation and the process of sound scientific enquiry and discovery. You will be introduced to a range of laboratory and field techniques for studying bird morphology, taxonomy, behaviour, census, population structure, habitat and interaction with the environment and other organisms at a residential school. Appropriate ways of measuring these parameters and their limitations are also examined. This subject provides students with the tools to test their insights on avian biology and challenges them to contribute to original knowledge to this field. This subject has a 3 day residential school.
+ Subject Availability Modes and Locations
| Session 1 | |
|---|---|
| Distance * | Albury-Wodonga |
*This subject offering contains a residential school. Please view following information for further details.
Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: BIO433
Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.
Enrolment restrictions:
Nil--this an entry level subject
Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
be able to:
- source information about birds from a variety of institutions;
- prepare a study skin;
- apply standard techniques and ethical considerations for keeping captive birds;
- measure bird behaviours;
- handle, band and undertake subsequent observation of mist-netted birds;
- measure bird habitat, including food resources;
- design and execute a small research project, including the data analysis and write-up; and
- outline the limitations of methodologies, techniques, study design and analyses in the study of avian biology.
Syllabus:
The subject will cover the following topics:
- museum studies - preparing and storing specimens and data;
- keeping birds in aviary and laboratory;
- field taxonomy and census;
- measuring behaviour in laboratory and field;
- measuring food;
- habitat description;
- asking questions and posing hypotheses;
- appropriate tests: are subjects and measurements useful for testing the hypothesis?;
- appropriate experimental and survey design;
- data analysis and write-up; and
- conducting multi-faceted research projects.
Residential School
This subject contains a compulsory 3 day residential school.
Hands-on introduction to specimen preparation and field based survey and inventory techniques
The information contained in the 2013 CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: 24 April 2013. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.