Birds are considered important indicators of habitat quality and are often the focus of conservation-oriented research, restoration, and monitoring.  A variety of field and analytical methods commonly used in bird monitoring and avian research will be covered.  Theory will be applied to practice in the field and lab where students will develop skills in fieldwork, data management, and statistical analysis.  Students will demonstrate their learning through active participation in all class activities; a detailed field journal; in-class, take-home, and field assignments; and a final project. 

An understanding of avian natural history is important to any successful project, and students without a working knowledge of the common birds in the South Puget Sound region are expected to improve their identification skills to a level that will allow them to effectively contribute to class efforts both in the field and in class.