Ornithology

Interested in studying Ornithology by distance learning? Are you a secret Twitcher? Already looking after or working with birds? This course covers everything from understanding the technique of thermal soaring, to avian vision and analysing the strength of instinct in the migration of birds. You will also learn about different evolutionary theories and evolutionary pressures. The course also examines how birds hunt and the different skills and techniques this entails.

On completion of the course students will be able to understand and appreciate the scientific principles behind many avian attributes. A fuller understanding of avian behaviour and physiology will develop in the student. This course endeavours to develop an enhanced appreciation of birds through increasing knowledge. The student should also develop a fuller appreciation of the diversity of bird life.

At UK Open Learning we pride ourselves on our friendly and supportive tutors. Your tutor support will start as soon as you receive your course and will be valid for 12 months. All our tutors are highly qualified with extensive experience in supporting distance learning students. You contact your tutor via email and they are responsible for marking assignments answering your questions and guiding you through the course to ensure you are ready for your examinations.

This course is open entry.

We recommend you spend approximately 110 hours of your time studying for the IACE Level 2 Award in Ornithology. The pace of study is completely up to you. To give an example, if you dedicate 2 hours a week to the course it would take you a year to complete but if you could spare 4 hours a week you could complete it in six months.

Unit 1 - Wings and Thermal Soaring. Unit 2 - Sight. Unit 3 - Flight. Unit 4 - Instinct and Play. Unit 5 - Evolution. Unit 6 - Conservation. Unit 7 - Hunting. Unit 8 - Divers. Unit 9 - Sexual Selection and Courtship. Unit 10 - The four primary methods used in avian navigation. Unit 11 - Polygyny and Polyandry. Unit 12 - Rhythmic Indicators.

This course is marked through a process of continuous assessment guided by your tutor. This means that your qualification will be awarded according to your performance on assessments rather than by taking an exam.

Assessment takes the form of question papers and directed report writing. The reports are designed to test the student's ability to understand the modules as a whole. The question papers are designed to test the student's understanding of the individual concepts within the lessons. The reports (3 in total) represent 70% of the total mark, the questions papers (12 in total) representing the remaining 30%.