What does it look like? What does it eat? What is its preferred habitat? In what part of the world is it found? These basic questions will help inform your thinking in subsequent sections.

– Field Ornithology
Critical Thinking Assignment
Population Changes in Birds
Paper must be typed.

Introduction
Worldwide, life is experiencing dramatic extinction on a scale only matched by a handful of
events in the history of our planet. The actions of human society appear to be all or part of the
cause of most species extinctions documented in human history.
Conservation biologists work to understand animal and plant populations in an effort to
develop strategies to prevent species from going extinct. In class we discussed bird
populations, how they are studied, and some of the most common causes of changes in bird
populations.
Assignment
Goal: Students will expand on the framework established in class by studying and thinking about
changes in the population of a bird species, how the change was detected, what may have
caused the change, and what actions they suggest to address the change.

Each student will be assigned one species of bird from a list provided by the instructor. Each
student will write about a different bird species.

WRITE ABOUT : Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

Submit a 3-5 page essay, structured as follows:
1. Introduction. Very briefly, provide some basic information about your bird species.
What does it look like? What does it eat? What is its preferred habitat? In what part of
the world is it found? These basic questions will help inform your thinking in
subsequent sections.
2. Population Changes. Research the history of your bird species. Is it common?
Endangered? Extinct? In what ways has its population changed? How were the
population changes detected?
3. Causes of Population Changes. What reasons have been proposed for the changes in
the population of your bird species? What do you think have been the most important
causes? Why do you think the cause or causes you named are the most important?
4. Plan for the Future. Now is your opportunity to think like a conservation ornithologist.
Is the population of your bird species secure? Are dramatic measures needed to save
your bird species from extinction? Propose actions that you think will allow your bird
species to thrive for centuries to come.

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