Module 9

University of Toronto
Ontario Universities Program in Field Biology

Course Title : Field Ornithology
Instructor(s) :

Prof. Alex Mills

Date(s) : Saturday, May 8 − Saturday, May 21, 2010; 2 weeks; UofT 0.5 credit
Location : Wildlife Research Station (WRS), Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
Cost :

$900. [$250 deposit to home university; $650 balance] This includes dormitory accommodation, meals, and in-course travel. Weather permitting, a mandatory boat trip on Georgian Bay will be arranged to view colonial “seabirds;” students will pay for this on their own (about $60 + taxes per person).

Students are responsible for their own transportation costs to and from Huntsville, Ontario (about $80 round trip from Toronto on Ontario Northland bus). Please let us know your travel plans. We will meet people in Huntsville if they arrive there on May 8; and we will drive you to Huntsville on May 21. Students may wish to drive to the WRS.
Prerequisites : BIO150Y1 or a first-year biology course with a laboratory and permission of instructor.
Description :

Algonquin Provincial Park is a world famous park, covering 7,600 square kilometres of Ontario’s southern Canadian Shield. It is a rugged landscape of forests, hundreds of lakes, and varied landscapes and habitats. It is famous for camping, canoe tripping, wildlife viewing, and research, as well as a rich history that includes logging and important contributions to Canadian painting. The WRS is an active research and teaching facility.
During our visit in May, spring will be returning to the park. The forest floor covered in spring wildflowers, and the spring bird migration will be at its maximum, with many songbirds returning from winter sites thousands of kilometres away. The first half of the course will involve visiting different habitats, learning to identify local birds, and observing their behaviours. We will discuss and use a variety of ornithological field techniques, including surveying, mist-netting, and banding, and we will employ analytical techniques to summarize the data we collect. Mid-way through the course, we hope to take a day-long field trip to Parry Sound for a boat trip in Georgian Bay to view colonial “seabirds”, weather permitting.

The remainder of the course will be devoted to individual student field-research projects. Further details on the course and specifics on what to bring will be provided in the spring to those who enrol.
Enrollment : 18 students (4 for OUPFB; 14 for University of Toronto)
Evaluation :

Class participation/performance (involvement in group projects, etc.): 10%
Quizzes: 30%
Field journal (to be handed in): 15%
Field research project – presentation: 15%

Field research project – report: 30%
Assignment(s) :  
Additional Information: