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Course outline
The full course
outline, with details of the class schedule and the assignments, can be
found in the course outline here.
Course
description
Bird
song is a model system for understanding the behaviour and ecology of
animals.
Research on bird song has yielded critically important insights into
natural
selection, sexual selection, animal culture, learning, cognition,
neurobiology
and behaviour, and patterns of variation in space and time. In this
reading-and-discussion-based
course, we will explore both the historical study of avian vocal
communication as
well as the most current research in this field. We will learn some
general
principles of behavioural ecology with a focus on animal communication,
as well
as specific details of behavioural ecology as they relate to acoustic
communication
in birds. Classes will involve lectures, student seminar presentations,
and
discussions of assigned readings. In the latter part of the course
students
will lead seminars and discussions, and write term papers on topics of
their
choice. There will be one short laboratory assignment, which is
designed to
encourage you to become familiar with the latest technology in bird
song
analysis, and one short critique assignment.
Textbooks
 Very
highly recommended textbook:
(1)
“Bird
Song: Biological Themes and Variations” SECOND
EDITION By Clive Catchpole & Peter Slater (Cambridge
University Press). The first edition of this book, published in 1995,
was an
important synthesis of the topic of acoustic communication in birds.
The second
edition is now available . Advertised at $52.89 from amazon.ca. I
recommend
that students purchase this book.
Additional
textbook that we will refer to:
(2)
“Nature’s
Music: The Science of Bird Song” edited by Peter Marler & Hans
Slabbekoorn (Elsevier). The book includes 14 chapters on 14 of the
fundamental
topics, each chapter written by the expert in their sub-field of bird
song
research. The book comes with a CD that
contains audio examples of all songs discussed in the book. THERE
IS ONE COPY AVAILABLE IN THE MENNILL
LAB. Advertised at $87.82 from amazon.ca.
These books
will be
valuable
resources during the course, and are an excellent addition to the
library of
anyone interested in the behavioural ecology and vocal communication in
birds.
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