1. ESRM 452 Field Ornithology Professor: John Marzluff Office: 123 E Anderson Hall Phone: 206 616 6883 Email: corvid@u.washington.edu corvid@u.washington.edu TA: Lauren Seckel Office: 111 Winkenwerder Email_ lseckel@u.washington.edu

2. Class Basics ► Web site  http://courses.washington.edu/vseminar http://courses.washington.edu/vseminar ► Follow links to ornithology (field and lecture) ► Class email list  Important to monitor your u. account for announcements related to field trips, etc. ► esrm452a_au09@u.washington.edu esrm452a_au09@u.washington.edu

3. Date / (Time) Meeting Place Event Notes, Handouts Assignments Monday, Oct. 5 (8:20) Burke Classroom Common Birds of Campus; Bird Walk with Dr. Dick Hutto, U. Montana Introduction Birds of UW Campus Birds of UW Campus Monday, Oct. 12 (8:20) Burke Classroom Preview of Cascade Mountain Birds Orders Anseriformes, Galliformes, Gaviiformes, Podicipediformes, Procelleriformes Orders Anseriformes, Galliformes, Gaviiformes, Podicipediformes, Procelleriformes Saturday Oct. 17 (6:30) Greenlake Park and Ride (6601 8 th Ave NE) Field Trip to Cascade Mountain Loop; Net gun demonstration Monday Oct. 19 (8:20) Burke Classroom Cryptic Species Guest Discussion with Dr. Craig Benkman, U. Wyoming Orders Pelicaniformes, Ciconiformes, Falconiformes, Gruiformes, Charadriiformes Monday Oct. 26 (8:20) C10 Parking Lot (Forestry Building Lot) Birding Around Lake Washington and Arboretum First Few Weeks

4. Assignments and Grades ► 3 Field Exams (150 pts) ► 1 Lab Final (200 pts) ► Field Journal (30 accounts; 60 pts) ► 1 Life History Report (50 pts) ► 1 Field Study (100 pts)

5. Some Fundamentals of Bird ID

6. What You Need ► Binoculars! ► Field Guide (Sibley) and Audio Guide (Keller and Vyn)  Ibird and other new electronic guides ► Good eyes and ears ► Patience ► Curiosity

7. Strategies of Birdwatching 1.Before you look, know what you are looking for. 2.Know the key characters of orders and likely suspects 3.What you don't see is as important as what you do see. 4.It probably is what it appears to be!

8. Theory of Elimination ► Briefly stated, it is that you should eliminate as many species as possible from consideration before you attempt to identify anything

9. Some Basic Tests of ID There are three basic tests you can perform when you encounter an unidentified bird: Test 1. Location ► You can eliminate all birds not found in your geographic area, elevation, season or habitat. Obviously, this is not foolproof because occasionally a bird does occur where or when it isn't supposed to but this is a good general rule to use in the beginning of your adventure with birds.

10. Some Basic Tests of ID Test 2: Characters of the Order or Family ► By using the general appearance of the body shape, size of bill, legs, behavior etc. you can eliminate certain families of birds from consideration.

11. Ericson 2008 Ratites and Tinamous Nightjars, owlet-nightjars, potooes, oilbird, frogmouths, hummingbirds, swifts Shorebirds, gulls, auks Pelicans, cormorants, herons, storks, cranes, rails, loons, penguins, albatrosses, cuckoos, turacos, bustards Parrots and Passerines Accipitrid diurnal raptors, osprey and secretarybird, rollers, woodpeckers, trogons, mousebirds, owls Pheasants, quails, currasows, ducks, geese, swans Heterogeneous assemblage of enigmas

12. Some Basic Tests of ID Test 3: Characters of the Species ► A species can now be identified by looking at specific details of a group of species. For example, look at color patterns, wing bars, eye-rings, etc. The field guides are good for this level of identification.

13. Lets Start with What You Know ► Common birds of campus ► Historical perspective (Miller and Curtis reading) ► Lets get outside