What format should I be using to cite in my Ornithology paper?

I’d go with your prof’s request. Generally, I’ve found that if a professor doesn’t insist on a style, that they don’t care as long as you don’t mix the styles. Just stick to one.

I think certain schools tend to favor one style over another as well. Like one school I went to favored MLA, but my most recent school favored APA.

APA is the most commonly used format for the sciences. I’d double-check with your professor, though.

For an English class I would go with MLA. If you haven’t heard back this morning and still can’t find your syllabus, check with the reference librarian who deals with the English department, they might be able to tell you which format that department uses.