We incorporated a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) into a Wildlife Management Techniques course to improve student skills and confidence in bird identification and research, study design, and scientific writing. The course objective was to provide hands-on experiences for students and give them exposure to field methods used in wildlife science. We added a bird observation study to the existing course curriculum where students formulated a research question, designed a 4-week study to address the question, and wrote a report in scientific journal style. Students (n = 38) were given a pre-survey and a post-survey with Likert statements and a quiz on bird identification. We expected that students would improve in their perceived confidence in science practices, knowledge of bird species, and interest in bird ecology. We observed improved perceived confidence in the science practice of data organization. Students improved their ability to identify bird species by an average of 18%. However, students had no change in bird ecology interest prior to and after the study. Eighty-nine and 97% of students agreed that the course helped them improve their bird identification and research skills, respectively. Adding this research experience allowed students to expand their skills, exposed them to research concepts, and provided a collaborative working environment that can make them more marketable for future employment or graduate school opportunities.

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Citizen science has become a valuable tool for natural resource professionals; however, many undergraduate students are not aware of its use as a means of collecting data for scientific analysis. To address this, we introduced a bird-focused research experience into an undergraduate Wildlife Management Techniques course. The objective of this course is to provide practical experiences in wildlife science by learning and using tools and techniques applied in the field. Students designed, implemented, and presented the results of a wild bird observation survey that contributed data to an existing e-Bird-based program. Pre-post surveys were collected to assess student learning and behavioral changes. We observed increased student awareness of citizen science. Ninety-two percent of students correctly defined citizen science following the experience. However, only sixteen percent of students stated they would continue participation in STWB, fifty percent were unsure, and thirty-four percent would not continue involvement. Improvements are discussed to promote participation in citizen science, connections with the community, and communication skill development for future employment.

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