701-1428-00L Animal Migration and Research in Field Ornithology
| Semester | Spring Semester 2024 |
| Lecturers | F. B. Korner-Nievergelt, S. Bauer |
| Periodicity | yearly recurring course |
| Language of instruction | English |
Courses
| Number | Title | Hours | Lecturers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 701-1428-00 P | Animal Migration and Research in Field Ornithology Course dates and locations: 5.-6. September in Sempach (LU) 9.-13.September 2024 at the Col de Bretolet (VS) iin La Barmaz (VA, see information in course description) | 56s hrs |
| F. B. Korner-Nievergelt, S. Bauer |
Catalogue data
| Abstract | This course introduces students to ornithological field methods with a focus on bird migration. Participants experience bird migration on field excursions and, if possible, participating in ongoing research activities. They learn about the morphology, physiology, energetics, behavior and evolution of bird migration through short lectures, small field research projects and data analysis. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Learning objective | Students will be able to: - explain the functions of bird migration and its implications for population dynamics and ecological communities - appreciate the biological and evolutionary determinants of bird migration - identify the more common European migrating bird species - choose the appropriate ornithological field and theoretical methods for a given scientific question - interpret information from different data sources (e.g. observations, mark-recapture, data loggers, tracking methods, blood samples, genetics) and evaluate their representativeness and accuracy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content | The course consists of lectures, project work and excursions. Lectures: - Ecology and evolution of bird migration - Migration strategies and orientation - Life cycle of birds (breeding, post-fledging, molting, migration, staging) - Morphological and physiological adaptation to flight - Current challenges and conservation of migrants Practicals (Excursions and project work): - Introduction of field methods: counting and identifying migrating birds, bird catching and marking, morphological measurements in live birds. - Introduction to commonly used data analyses methods for the study of migration. - Short research projects in small groups. Students analyse data sets provided by the Swiss Ornithological Institute, or they can formulate their own questions and collect new data. Data is analyzed, interpreted, and results are presented orally. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture notes | https://silkebauer.github.io/ETH_course/index.html | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literature | See script | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites / Notice | General ecological concepts Basics in statistical data analyses and working with R Specific preparations for the course will be communicated to the participants. Examples of earlier courses, see https://silkebauer.github.io/ETH_course/index.html The course will start with two preparatory days at the Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach (LU). The main part of the course will take place at La Barmaz and Col de Bretolet, the field station of the Swiss Ornithological Institute. Basic accommodation including breakfast and dinner in La Barmaz. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Competencies |
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Performance assessment
| Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again) | |
Performance assessment as a semester course | |
| ECTS credits | 2 credits |
| Examiners | F. B. Korner-Nievergelt, S. Bauer |
| Type | ungraded semester performance |
| Language of examination | English |
| Repetition | Repetition possible without re-enrolling for the course unit. |
| Additional information on mode of examination | The ungraded semester performance can be in both German and English. Die unbenotete Semesterleistung wird in Deutsch und Englisch angeboten. |
Learning materials
| Documents | Script for Animal Migration and Research in Field Ornithology course |
| Only public learning materials are listed. | |
Groups
| No information on groups available. |
Restrictions
| Places | 20 at the most |
| Priority | Registration for the course unit is until 29.05.2024 only possible for the primary target group |
| Primary target group | Biology MSc (562000)
Environmental Sciences MSc (736000) |
| Waiting list | until 04.09.2024 |
| End of registration period | Registration only possible until 28.06.2024 |
Offered in
| Programme | Section | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Sciences Master | Laboratory and Field Expertise | W | |