Avian Ecology & Behavior Lab

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CONTEXT

Behavior textbooks often focus on either the proximate causes or adaptive significance of certain behaviors, with comparatively little attention paid to the consequences of behavior on community structure. Likewise, general ecology textbooks often have little or no reference to mixed-species groups and the multiple types of species interactions that occur in these groups, and the variation in species’ roles within groups. And, few students get to interact with real data or experience field science activities. Worse, textbooks are proprietary, expensive, and can quickly become outdated.

 

SOLUTION

We have developed activities and lectures aimed at teaching students about the complexity of species interactions, the costs and benefits of being in mixed-species animal groups, and how to collect observational data and ask questions like a scientist. These activities are packaged in two free, online educational modules, one for use in General Ecology classes (or similar) and one for Behavioral Ecology classes (or similar). The modules highlight our research on bird interactions with army ant swarms in Panama. You can learn more about our research in this documentary and the accompanying "behind the scenes" article. 

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MODULE DETAILS

The activities include students collecting real data (from our game camera footage) and developing and testing hypotheses associated with species interactions. For each module, we have compiled a series of videos of birds at ant swarms, prep and homework activities, in-class activities (including all the necessary prompts/scripts and lecture materials for instructors, and data sheets, identification tools, and field data videos for students to use during class). Modules are designed to be flexible, and can occupy 1-3 class periods, depending on the degree of complexity the instructor opts to explore. We hope these modules help expand the scope of behavioral topics while also providing equitable and affordable course materials.

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WHAT STUDENTS SAY

• "The most memorable thing I learned during this activity was the complexities of social interactions; the fact that some species of birds are viewed as more beneficial in a group and are followed to find food was fascinating to me."

• "The part that was the most engaging for me would definitely be the [data] videos. It was the part of the project that felt the most like the field work I would like to do in the future."

• "I found it to be really engaging to crowd around a computer and lose our minds every time we'd see a bird that we didn't on the first pass of the video."

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ARE YOU INTERESTED IN USING THESE MODULES IN YOUR CLASSROOM?

Do you teach ecology, behavior, ornithology, or something similar? Would you like to enhance your teaching of ecological concepts like species interactions ?

 

If you are potentially interested, please fill out the form below and we will get in touch with you soon with more details.

 

https://forms.gle/Nyk1VkLvCKQ9V7yw8