Ornithology

Learn the science behind birds, their biology, habits and classification.  This can be either a foundation course for a broadened understanding of Ornithology, or it can complement other studies in the field of Environmental management or Science.

This course stands alone for birdwatchers wishing to fill a gap in their existing knowledge; or perhaps wanting to lay a foundation upon which they can build a greater knowledge of ornithology.

Lesson Structure

There are 9 lessons in this course:

1. Classification & Introduction to Birdwatching
   • History of birds; Classification (Classes, Subclasses, Superorders, etc); Bird Migration; Birdwatching clubs & Other information sources, etc Binoculars, etc
2. The Biology of Birds
   • Anatomy, external & internal structure, breeding, eggs etc.
3. Common and Widespread Land Birds
   • Pests, introduced birds, pigeons, crows & their relatives, etc.
4. Giant Birds & Long Legged Birds
   • Emu, Ostrich, Herons, Storks & Relatives etc
5. Seabirds & Waterbirds
6. Hunters
   • Birds of Prey, Owls, Kingfishers
7. Passeriformes: includes all song birds, plus lots of other birds including: larks, jays, magpies, swallows, nightingales, wrens, mockingbirds, robins, bluebirds, thrushes, pipits, shrikes, warblers, blackbirds, orioles, finches, grosbeaks, tanagers, and more
8. Other Birds
   • Parrots, Honeyeaters, Swifts & others
9. Attracting, Feeding & Keeping Birds

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Discuss the study of birds, including bird taxonomy
• Describe anatomical and physical characteristics of birds.
• Describe anatomical and physical characteristics of birds.
• Discuss a range of different common and widespread land birds.
• Discuss a range of different flightless and long legged birds including Ratites and Ciconiiformes.
• Discuss and describe a range of water birds and sea birds.
• Discuss and describe a range of hunting birds.
• Discuss and describe a range of Passeriformes.
• Discuss and describe a range of parrots and other birds..
• Explain domestication of birds and the methodology and implications of attracting and feeding wild birds.

What You Will Do

• Contact a Birdwatching Club or organisation in your own country, or region of the world, and find out what services and information they offer. You may locate groups on the internet, or listed under clubs and organisations in the Yellow Pages section of your phone book. You could contact them on the phone, or by email, by letter; or by attending a meeting.
• Write a brief history of the evolution of birds mentioning of species that have become extinct and give reasons as to why you think this occurred.
• Discuss the breeding cycle of one particular bird species (of your own choosing). Identify any traits or behavioural patterns that are unique to this species
• Select different birds from groups studied, and research each different bird using any resources you have available to you, such as textbooks, the internet, libraries, etc.Write a paragraph describing each of the six birds you selected, giving a detailed description of their external appearance, together with details of their distribution, structure, feeding habits and breeding. If possible, focus on any birds from each group that inhabit or regularly migrate to your region.