Field Technician - Bird Banding

Mass Audubon • Wellfleet, MA

15d • $18 - $21 • Onsite

About The Position

This position works with the Bird Banding Manager (permitted master bander) to help with all aspects of operating the seasonal, constant-effort mist netting banding station on Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, a 1,100-acre coastal wildlife sanctuary in South Wellfleet, MA. Over the course of the spring season, (April 15 – June 1) the Field Technician helps run Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay’s banding station seven days per week, weather permitting. This position also helps oversee several volunteers and lead or co-lead several public banding demonstrations for school groups and adult audiences.

Requirements

• Experience removing songbirds from mist nets, banding them, and collecting morphometric data; please indicate in your cover letter how many birds you have processed
• Strong familiarity with identification of eastern US songbirds required
• Demonstrated experience utilizing judgment in field-based wildlife research and management projects
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to lift approximately 50lbs, and be in good physical condition to allow for long days in the field
• Willing to work weekends and holidays, weather permitting
• Valid driver’s license and access to own vehicle

Nice To Haves

• B.S. or B.A. or higher in wildlife biology, ecology, zoology, environmental science, or related field, or equivalent experience preferred

Responsibilities

• Assist with preseason inventory of all gear and maintain net lane vegetation working with Property Manager
• Open nets each day and take them down at the end of banding
• With banding assistants and select volunteers, conduct frequent net runs to remove all birds and bring them back to station for processing
• Place federal aluminum bands on birds and collect various morphometric, weight, and other data on the bird’s condition before release
• Help supervise a small number of volunteers who help scribe data and eventually, when comfortable, remove birds from nets and handle them during processing
• Maintain effective communication about all job activities with Science Coordinator, Bird Banding Manager, and other external team members and support staff
• Provide photos to Marketing and Outreach Coordinator and post photos to social media accounts
• Conduct banding demonstrations for adults and children in coordination with our Education Department

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level