Faculty. See under Department of Animal Science.
Avian sciences is the study of birds and the ways in which they relate to and are useful to humans. The major combines the study of avian wildlife and their environments, production and marketing of domestic birds and eggs, caged exotic bird management, and basic and applied laboratory research on birds with a broad introduction to biological science.
The Program. The flexibility of the program and the close personal interaction between students, faculty, and specialists in the field give students a large role in selecting and designing their own course work. Students may specialize in a bachelor's program that qualifies them for a particular career or they may choose a program to meet other broader intellectual and cultural interests.
Internships and Career Alternatives. Independent study, undergraduate research, and internships are emphasized in the avian sciences program. Birds for laboratory or special study are housed within the main building as well as at the research farm and the experimental aviary. An avian sciences major has a variety of career options: health-oriented research, teaching biology, gamebird production, domestic and foreign agricultural extension and advisory services, governmental agencies, or the domestic or exotic bird industries. A recent survey has shown that the majority of avian sciences graduates enter graduate school or are employed by the domestic bird industry. The remainder of the graduates were evenly distributed in the categories of professional schools, avian biology agencies, educational fields, and individual jobs indirectly associated with birds.
| UNITS | ||
|---|---|---|
| English Composition Requirement | 0-8 | |
| See College requirement | ||
| Preparatory Subject Matter | 61 | |
| Avian Sciences 11 or 13 | 3-4 | |
| Biological Sciences 1A, 1B, 1C | 15 | |
| Chemistry 2A, 2B, 2C | 15 | |
| Chemistry 8A, 8B | 6 | |
| Agricultural Systems and Environment 21 | 3 | |
| Mathematics 16A, 16B, 16C | 9 | |
| Physics 1A and 1B | 6 | |
| Statistics 13 | 4 | |
| Breadth Subject Matter | 24 | |
| Satisfaction of General Education requirement | 24 | |
| Depth Subject Matter | 22 | |
| Animal Biology 102 and 103 | 8 | |
| Biological Sciences 101 | 4 | |
| Avian Sciences 150 | 1 | |
| Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior 101 | 5 | |
| Laboratory units in above listed subjects | 4 | |
| (Recommended courses include Animal Science 136B and 137, Animal Genetics 101, Avian Sciences 103, 150L, 160, Molecular and Cellular Biology 120L, 160L, or Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior 101L.) | ||
| Restricted Electives
Specialized courses related to avian species to supplement or expand depth subject matter courses. | 31 | |
| Unrestricted Electives | 34-42 | |
| Total Units for the Degree | 180 | |
Major Adviser. F. Bradley.
Advising Center for the major is located in 1202 Meyer Hall (530-754-7915).
| UNITS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Avian Sciences | 18 | |
| Choose one from Avian Sciences 11, 13, 14L, 15L, 16L | 2-3 | |
| Choose remaining units from Avian Sciences 100, 103, 115, 121, 123, 149, 150, Animal Science 143, Evolution and Ecology 137, Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior 117, Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology 111. | ||
Graduate Study. Further training is available through graduate or professional programs in animal physiology, genetics, nutrition, or veterinary medicine. The M.S. degree is offered in Avian Sciences. For details see under the Graduate Group in Avian Sciences. See also the Graduate Studies section in this catalog.
Related Courses. See Agricultural and Resource Economics 130; Animal Science 136B, 137, 143; Food Science and Technology 120, 120L, 121; Molecular and Cellular Biology 150, 150L; Nutrition 123.
Advising for the major, minor, or the following courses is located in the Animal Science Advising Center, 1202 Meyer Hall (530-754-7915).
| Upper Division Courses | Graduate Courses |
*Course not offered this academic year.
General Education (GE) credit: ArtHum = Arts and Humanities; SciEng = Science and Engineering; SocSci = Social Sciences; Div = Social-Cultural Diversity; Wrt = Writing Experience. Select this link to information on the General Education requirement.
11. Introduction to Poultry Science (3) II. Bradley
Lecture--3 hours; one field trip required. The mosaic of events that have tied poultry science to other scientific disciplines and poultry to humans. Poultry science techniques and production methods from the time of domestication to the present. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.
13. Birds, Humans and the Environment (3) I. Wilson, Morzenti
Lecture--2 hours; discussion--1 hour; half-day field trip. Interrelationships of the worlds of birds and humans. Lectures, discussions, field trips and projects focus on ecology, avian evolution, physiology, reproduction, flight, behavior, folklore, identification, ecotoxicology and conservation. Current environmental issues are emphasized. GE credit: SciEng, Wrt.
*14L. Management of Captive Birds (2) II. Morzenti
Fieldwork--3 hours; lecture/discussion--1 hour.
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. One weekly discussion and field trip to study practical captive management (housing, feeding, equipment, marketing, diseases). Visit facilities rearing birds such as commercial parrots, hobbyist exotics, ostrich, raptors, waterfowl, game birds, poultry and pigeons.
15L. Captive Raptor Management (2) I, III. Morzenti
Laboratory--3 hours; independent study--3 hours; one field trip. Hands-on experience handling birds of prey. Students are taught all of the skills required to handle and care for raptors, including their husbandry, biology, habitat requirements, cage design, veterinary care, rehabilitation methods, research potential and long-term care requirements.
*16LA-16LB-16LC. Raptor Migration and Population Fluctuations (2-2-2) I-II-III. Morzenti
Fieldwork--3 hours; discussion--1 hour; one Saturday field trip. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Identify raptors; study effects of weather, crops, agricultural practices on fluctuations in raptor species and numbers. Familiarize with literature; design a project; survey study sites; collect, computerize, analyze data; compare with previous years. Species, observations, emphasis are different each quarter.
92. Internship in the Avian Sciences (1-12) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Internship--3-36 hours. Prerequisite: sophomore standing preferred; consent of instructor. Internship on and off campus in poultry, gamebirds or exotic bird production, management and research; or in a business, industry, or agency concerned with these entities. Compliance with Internship Approval Request form essential. (P/NP grading only.)
98. Directed Group Study (1-5) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)
99. Special Study for Undergraduates (1-5) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Problems in avian biology; nutrition, breeding, and physiology of poultry/wild birds and their products. (P/NP grading only.)
100. Avian Biology (3) I. Weathers
Lecture--3 hours. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B. Survey of avian natural history and study of the diversity, functional morphology, behavior, ecology and evolution of birds.
103. Avian Development and Genetics (3) I. Delany
Lecture--2 hours; laboratory--3 hours. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1A and 1B. Unique features of avian development and genetics. Development topics: gametogenesis, fertilization, pre- and post- oviposital development, morphogenesis, sex differentiation, specialized organ systems, incubations, hatching. Genetic topics: genome organization, inheritance, sex determination, avian models. Laboratory exercises: embryology, genetics, model systems.
115. Raptor Biology (3) II. Morzenti
Lecture--3 hours; two Saturday field trips. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1A or the equivalent. Study of birds of prey: classification, distribution, habits and habitats, migration, unique anatomical and physiological adaptations, natural and captive breeding, health and diseases, environmental concerns, conservation, legal considerations, rehabilitation, and falconry.
*121. Avian Reproduction (2) II. Millam
Lecture--2 hours. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B. Breeding cycles and reproductive strategies, egg and sperm formation, incubation, sexual development, imprinting, hormonal control of reproductive behavior and song. Species coverage includes wild and companion birds. Course has a physiological orientation. Offered in alternate years.
123. Management of Birds (3) II. Millam
Lecture--3 hours. Prerequisite: Biological Sciences 1A, 1B. Captive propagation of birds, including reproduction, genetic management, health, feeding, artificial incubation, artificial insemination, and related legal aspects, including trade and smuggling. Emphasis on exotic species and the role of captive propagation in conservation. Offered in alternate years.
*149. Egg Production Management (2) III. Ernst
Lecture--2 hours; one Saturday field trip required. Prerequisite: course 11 or the equivalent, or consent of instructor. Management of commercial table egg flocks as related to environment, nutrition, disease control, economics, housing, equipment, egg processing and raising replacement pullets. Offered in alternate years.
150. Nutrition of Birds (1) III. Klasing
Lecture--1 hour. Prerequisite: Animal Biology 103 (may be taken concurrently). Principles of nutrition specific to avian species, including feedstuffs, feed additives, nutrient metabolism, energy systems, and nutritional support of egg production and growth. Use of computers for feed formulation to support production. Offered in alternate years.
160. Designing and Performing Experiments in Avian Sciences (2) I, II, III. The Staff
Laboratory--6 hours. Prerequisite: course 100 or Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology 111 or Evolution and Ecology 137 or consent of instructor. Experiments in current problems in avian biology. Introduction to experimental design. Students choose a project, design a protocol, perform an experiment and report their findings. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor.
170. Advanced Avian Biology (4) II. Weathers
Lecture/discussion--3 hours; project--1 hour. Prerequisite: course 100 or Evolution and Ecology 137 or Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology 111. Ecology, behavior, functional morphology and life-history evolution of birds. Emphasis on the importance of body size as a principle determinant of most aspects of avian performance from lifespan to reproduction and species abundance. Analytical synthesis and critical thought emphasized. Offered in alternate years.
190. Seminar in Avian Sciences (1) I, II, III. The Staff
Seminar--1 hour. Prerequisite: upper division standing in Avian Sciences and consent of instructor. May be repeated three times for credit. (P/NP grading only.)
192. Internship in Avian Sciences (1-12) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Internship--3-36 hours. Prerequisite: completion of a minimum of 84 units; consent of instructor. Internship on and off campus in poultry, gamebirds or exotic bird production, management and research; or in a business, industry, or agency concerned with these entities. Compliance with Internship Approval Request form essential. (P/NP grading only.)
195. Topics in Current Research (1-3) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Lecture/discussion--variable. Hours will depend on instructor with the number of units being commensurate with time in class. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Discussion of topics of current interest in avian sciences. May be repeated three times for credit.
197T. Tutoring in Avian Sciences (1-3) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Hours and duties vary depending upon course being tutored. Prerequisite: Avian Sciences or related major; advanced standing; consent of instructor. Tutoring of students in lower division avian sciences courses; weekly conference with instructors in charge of course; written critiques of teaching procedures. (P/NP grading only.)
198. Directed Group Study (1-5) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)
198. Directed Group Study (1-5) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
(P/NP grading only.)
199. Special Study for Advanced Undergraduates (1-5) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (P/NP grading only.)
290. Seminar (1) I, II, III. The Staff
Seminar--1 hour. Reports and discussions of recent advances and selected topics of current interest in avian genetics, physiology, nutrition, and poultry technology.
290C. Research Conference (1) I, II, III. The Staff
Discussion--1 hour. Prerequisite: graduate standing and consent of instructor. Major professors lead research discussions with their graduate students. Research papers are reviewed and project proposals presented and evaluated. Format will combine seminar and discussion. (S/U grading only.)
297T. Supervised Teaching in Avian Sciences (1-4) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Tutoring--1-4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing and consent of instructor. Tutoring of students in lower, upper division, and graduate courses in Avian Sciences; weekly conference with instructor in charge of course; written critiques of teaching methods in
lectures and laboratories. (S/U grading only.)
298. Group Study (1-5) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
299. Research (1-12) I, II, III. The Staff (Chairperson in charge)
Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (S/U grading only.)
UC Davis 1999-2000 Online General Catalog. Posted July 30, 1999.
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Molly Theodossy, Keitha Hunter and Barbara Anderson, Editors
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