Department of Humanities and Sciences
(310) 825-7093
Spring 2014
Course Title: Birds of Southern California
Biology X 4….
Reg #
2 units
Instructor:
Callyn Yorke, Ph.D.
Day of the Week/Inclusive Dates: Saturday/April 5 – May 31, 2014
Time: 9am-12pm
Location: UCLA/field
Office Hours: By arrangement
Course Description: An introductory course in Ornithology, focused primarily on the naturally
occurring avifauna of Southern California. Emphasis is placed on bird identification, behavior,
distribution, ecology and conservation. The class will alternate with series a series of Saturday
morning lectures and field trips, designed to meet specific learning objectives (see below).
Specific Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1) Apply basic skills of bird identification in the field.
2) Demonstrate the proper use of optical equipment, e.g. binocular and spotting scope, in
the field.
3) Demonstrate how to use the internet for finding information about the birds of Southern
California.
4) Develop and maintain a well-annotated field notebook containing first-hand observations
of the birds of Southern California.
5) List at least fifty species of bird native to Southern California.
6) Outline the geographic distribution of at least twenty species of bird native to Southern
California.
7) Describe the feeding behavior of at least twenty species of bird native to Southern
California
8) Locate on a map, five principal areas where the greatest bird species diversity is found in
Southern California.
9) Compare and contrast five distinct ecological communities in Southern California,
including bird species typically associated with those communities.
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10) List at least ten species of bird in Southern California considered sensitive, rare,
threatened or endangered by resource agencies.
11) Describe how wetlands in Southern California have declined over the past century and
the resulting impacts on birds requiring those particular habitats.
12) Establish and maintain a personal life list of birds.
Required Text: Dunn, Jon L. and J. Alderfer 2011. The National Geographic Field Guide to the
Birds of North America. 6th Edition. ISBN 1426208286
Web Enhanced Course:
This course will use a password-protected internet site on Blackboard to post course materials
and announcements. Course materials can include the syllabus, handouts and internet links
referenced in class. (no hard copies of course materials will be made available in class; please
print any reference materials you would like to have in class). At a minimum, instructors will
post their contact information and a course syllabus. Here are some important points about webenhanced courses:

Students must have basic computer skills, including the use of word processing, email
and the ability to use internet browsers such as Internet Explorer or Netscape. Completion
of the Blackboard Student Orientation is recommended.

Course materials will become available two days before the beginning date of the course.

Discussion forums on the course website can be used to interact with your fellow
students. Participation in forums is optional and the instructor will not be interacting on
these forums. All official course discussion will be conducted in the classroom for the
benefit of all students.
UCLA Extension Administrative Contact for this Course: Linda Polin (310 825-7093.
Student Records: Students can access and update student records online by visiting:
www.uclaextension.edu and clicking on My.Extension on the left navigation bar, selecting
Student's Course Essentials, and following the directions to log in.
Student's Course Essentials lets you view your grades, request an official transcript,
change credit status on a current course, obtain enrollment verification, update your personal information,
and much more.
Student Conduct:
By enrolling in this course, all students are expected to comply with the UCLA Extension
Student Conduct Guidelines provided in the current Quarterly catalog (print or online) under
“General Information.”
Please silence all cell phones and refrain from texting during class lectures.
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Resources for Students with Disabilities: If you need any accommodations for a disability,
please contact the UCLA Extension Services for Students with Disabilities at: (310) 825-7851 or
via e-mail access@uclaextension.edu
Grading: Course grades will be based on the following:
Breakdown of Points for Each Assignment/Exam:
3 Quizzes (short answer essays)
One @ 20 points, two @ 10 points
40 Points
Field Notebook (4 field trips)
100 Points
Final Exam (comprehensive, short answer essay) 100 Points
Total Points for the Course: 240
Letter
Grade
%
# Points
A
B
C
D
F
(90-100%)
(80-89%)
(70-79%)
(60-69%)
(<60%)
216-240 points
192-215points
168-191 points
144-167 points
< 144 points
All grades are final when filed by the instructor on the Final Grade Report.
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Course Outline
Date
Week 1: April 5, 2014
Week 2: April 12, 2014
Lecture Topic
Readings
Lecture: UCLA
Introduction to the
course; Binoculars and
other gear; basics of bird
identification; Intro to
SOCAL bird
communities I: Coastal
Birds
Field Trip: Legacy Park
and Malibu Lagoon
State Beach
Dunn and Alderfer
2011 pp 1-19.
Yorke, C. Field
Notes on coastal
birds 2011-13
Review of Basic
Bird Topography
and Evolution
Yorke, C.20102014 Field Notes
on coastal birds;
Dunn & Alderfer
2011: Coastal
Birds of SOCAL
Week 3: April 19, 2014
Lecture 2: UCLA
Introduction to bird
evolution, taxonomy and
systematics; speciation.
SOCAL bird
communities II:
chaparral, riparian and
oak woodland
Quiz #2: Feather
topography (in class)
Week 4 April 26, 2014
Field Trip: Oak
Chaparral,Woodland
and Riparian Birds:
Placerita Canyon
Week 5: May 3, 2014
Lecture 3: UCLA:
Foraging ecology;
Montane Birds
Week 6: May 10, 2014
Quiz #3 (Bird photo ID,
in class)
Field Trip: San
Gabriel Mts.
Dunn and Alderfer
2011: Birds of
inland habitats, e.g.
chaparral, riparian
and oak woodland.
Yorke, C. 20102014: Field Notes
on chaparral,
riparian and oak
woodland habitats
Dunn and Alderfer.
2011
Yorke, C. 20102014 Field Notes
on inland birds of
LA County 2014.
Dunn and Alderfer.
2011: Montane
Birds of SOCAL.
Yorke, C. 20102014 Field Notes,
on the San Gabriel
Mts.
Dunn and Alderfer
2011: Montane
Birds of SOCAL.
Yorke 2010-2014,
Field Notes on the
San Gabriel Mts.
Quizzes/Exams and
Assignment Due Dates
Take-home Quiz #1 (20
points):
Five bird species identification
report – Due April 19
Reading: Yorke, C. 20102014: Coastal birds.
Field notebook entries
including 10 species
identified: Due Apr. 19,
2014.
Due: Quiz #1 (20 points)
Due: Field Notebook with
10 bird species identified
from the Malibu field trip,
including supplementary
notes on at least two species.
Reading: Review and update
field notebook 10 additional
bird species from this week’s
field trip: Oak Woodland,
riparian, chaparral habitats.
Due: Review and update
field notebook with 10
additional species identified
from previous field trip;
Yorke, C. 2009-2014 field
notes on montane birds;
Update field notebook
highlighting10 additional
species from the San Gabriel
Mt. field trip; review Yorke,
2009-2014 Field notes on
Desert Oasis (Apollo Park;
Edwards AFB)
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Week 7: May 17, 2014
Field Trip: Desert Oasis
Migratory Birds:
Antelope Valley, Piute
Ponds Edwards AFB
and/or Apollo Park.
Week 8: May 24, 2014
Memorial Day
Holiday
NO MEETING
Week 9: May 31, 2014
Lecture UCLA: Avian
Ecology and
Conservation; course
summary;
FINAL EXAM
(comprehensive; in
class)
Dunn and Alderfer
2011
Yorke, 2010-2014
Field Notes for
Apollo Park and
Edwards AFB
Dunn and Alderfer
2011: review of
species found
during all field
trips.
Update field notebook: with
10 additional bird species
from the desert oasis field trip.
Prepare field notebook for
final submittal, including 10
additional species from the
desert oasis field trip.
FINAL EXAM (100 points);
FIELD NOTEBOOK DUE
(100 points).
Yorke, C. Field
Notes from our
four Spring 2014
field trips.
It is estimated that students will spend approximately 6 hours outside class each week
to complete class assignments, readings and study for exams. Depending on the extent of your
academic preparation and recent college-level coursework in this topic area, the amount of
study time needed may vary considerably.
Course Syllabus Subject to Update by the Instructor
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