Bird Ecology and Conservation

advanced

OB2_W09

OB2_W12

OB2_U01

OB2_U09

basic knowledge of zoology and ecology of animals, knowledge of English terms in the field of zoology and ecology

The course introduce methods of study bird ecology and behavior. It focuses mainly on breeding season of birds. Students will be acquainted with several techniques that can be useful in the field and help to manage conservation projects. They will be acquainted with the ethical and legal aspects of working with birds in the field; with the risks associated with field work and the safety principles. At the end we will focus on some examples of the bird conservation management as well as the habitat management. A case study for the Middle Vistula River will be presented.

During exercises two field excursions along the Vistula River are planned (near Łomna and in Warsaw) to compare bird species diversity between country and urban landscapes.

Lecture:

1. The organization of classes. What is the breeding ecology of birds. Basic concepts of ecology and behavior of birds.Conservation issues for birds.

2. Methods of field work with birds – ethical and legal issues, safety in the field

3. Bird census or surveys – why do we count birds?

4. Biology and ecology of breeding birds - the methods of field research

5. Why and how do we catch birds, handling

6. Why do we band birds - metal rings and colour bands and other methods of individual marking

7. Why do we take blood, methods of collection and preservation

8. Diet and foraging – the methods of feeding ecology research

9. Habitat selection and nest-site selection – the methods of field research

10. Behavioural research of birds - what can we observed in the field?

11. Conservation management of endangered birds

12. Habitat management

13. Life in the colonies of gulls and terns

14. Active protection of gulls and terns at the middle Vistula River - a case study

15. Summary of the course

Laboratory:

During exercises two field excursions within the Vistula River Valley are planned (near Łomna and in Warsaw) to compare bird species diversity between country and urban landscapes; or parks and urban forests.

Lecture:

1. W. J. Sutherland, I. Newton, R. Green. 2004. Bird Ecology and Conservation: A Handbook of Techniques. Oxford UP

2. Williams D.R., Pople R.G., Showler D.A., Dicks L.V., Child M.F., Erasmus K.H.J. zu Ermgassen E.K.H.J., Sutherland W.J. 2013. Bird Conservation: Global evidence for the effects of interventions. Exeter, Pelagic Publishing.

3. Perrins C.M., Lebreton J.D., Hirons G.J.M. 1991. Bird Population Studies. Relevance to Conservation and management. Oxford University Press.

Articles concerning the birds’ ecology research, bird behaviour studies and active protection of birds

Laboratory:

Articles concerning the birds’ ecology research, bird behaviour studies and active protection of birds

For field trips:

Bruun B.1970. Birds of Europe. McGraw-Hill Book Company

or other field guide for European birds

Articles concerning the birds’ ecology, bird diversity in rural and urban environments, in parks and urban forests

a) Learning outcomes

1. Knowledge:

EK1 - student understands and explains the relationship between ecology, animal behaviour and possibilities and methods of bird protection;

EK2 - Student recognizes the basic terms in a foreign language in terms of ecology, behavior, and species protection

2. Skills:

EK3 - student performs and describes simple research tasks individually and collectively

EK4 – student uses specialized terminology in the field of ecology, animal behaviour and conservation (in English)

EK5 – student prepares simple reports based on the collected data

EK6 – student is able to prepare oral presentations by various means of verbal and visual communication

3.Competences:

EK7 - Improves his/her professional skills in the fieldwork; cares about the reliability and credibility of his/her work

EK8 - The student through the fieldwork as well as the preparation of a multimedia presentation and the discussion recognizes the strengths and weaknesses of his/her skills, attitudes and actions

ECTS

Student activity hours of student work

Participation in lecture 15

Participation in exercises 15

Studying literature for the lecture 20

Studying literature for exercises 30

Preparation of a presentation 35

Preparation of a report 35

Total of 150 hours [150/30 = 5]

Number of ECTS 5

Lecture:

Students are required to complete the multimedia presentation of the article related to the topic (30 min). The evaluation will assess (a) form, content and the way of presentation and (b) the ability to find suitable material for presentation

Absence from classes will reduce final assessment. Further detailed assessment criteria will be given to participants during the course.

Laboratory:

Students are required to complete a short report describing field observations of birds. The evaluation will assess the ability to describe the methodology, the results of observation, and the conclusions.

Absence from classes will reduce final assessment. Further detailed assessment criteria will be given to participants during the course.