Module Information

The theme of the module is avian biodiversity, which will be addressed through explorations of the evolution, phylogenetics, global distribution and conservation of birds. As the most visible and popular members of our wild fauna, birds dominate public debates and scientific studies on conservation in the UK. Ten per cent of recent papers in the Journal of Applied Ecology are devoted to the effects of agriculture on birds, while the UK'r largest conservation charity is the RSPB. This module has a focus on employability via engagement with conservation organisations and teaching of relevant field skills.

Biodiversity needs to be appreciated in an evolutionary context, and the module will first review the progress and controversies of the last thirty years about the origins of birds. Evidence for and against birds as a lineage of theropod dinosaurs will be discussed, along with theories of how avian characters, such as flight, feathers, endothermy, and parental care, might have been derived from a Mesozoic ancestry. The orders of living birds will be systematically reviewed within recent phylogenetic frameworks based on molecular, morphological and behavioural characters, which some studies have correlated with palaeogeographical events. Descriptions of all the major avian orders will briefly deal with physiological and behavioural characteristics as well as habitat preferences. The latest systematics findings will be reviewed. For an appreciation of global avian biodiversity, lectures will outline the avifaunas of the major zoogeographical regions. Bird surveys by UK conservation organisations will be discussed at workshops contributed by staff of such organisations as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, or the Countryside Council for Wales. Practicals will focus on bird identification and survey skills, while field work will include local reserves. Practical assessments will involve local bird surveys by student teams and tests of identification skills.