Job Title: Colorado Riparian Bird Point Count Technician (1) Organization: Colorado State University Location: Piceance Basin, NW Colorado Job Description: Field technician needed early May through July 2015 to assist M.S. graduate student from Colorado State University (CSU) to investigate the effects of an invasive shrub on riparian bird habitat use and food web interactions. Fieldwork is located in the Piceance Basin on Colorado’s western slope. Primary duties will include conducting bird point count surveys during early morning hours, riparian vegetation surveys, mist-netting, bird banding, taking weight and body measurements, fecal sample collection, aging/sexing using a Pyle guide. Additional duties may include assisting with passerine nest searching and monitoring, acoustic bat monitoring using detectors, and terrestrial invertebrate sampling. Applicants must have an interest in avian biology and conservation, strong bird ID skills, and some experience with passerine extraction from mist-nets and banding. Accommodation (likely mobile home or field house) will be provided for the duration of the field season, and the schedule is expected to consist of 10 days of fieldwork with 4 days off in between. A field vehicle will be provided during work hours but applicants may want a personal vehicle for use on days off. Salary will be $1300-1500/month, depending on experience. This position provides the opportunity to work in beautiful riparian areas of western Colorado, contribute to conservation on private lands, enhance field research skill sets, and interact with researchers at CSU, a highly-respected institution for natural resources research.
Required Skills: Competitive applicants will possess more than one season of bird survey experience, preferably in western riparian zones as well as riparian vegetation identification and survey skills. An ability to identify western birds by sight and sound, with previous experience estimating detection distances is essential. In addition, applicants must have some experience with passerine extraction from mist-nets and bird banding/processing. Additional Preferred Skills/Qualities: Experience nest searching and monitoring passerine nests, terrestrial invertebrate sampling, and experience using bat detectors. Desirable personal qualities include an ability to take initiative, attention to detail, adaptability, and ability to work long hours and live in a remote field setting. TO APPLY: Please send a letter of interest, resume, and contact information for 3 references in a single PDF document with file name “applicant’s last name_pointcount” to: Lani Stinson (lani.stin...@colostate.edu). Letters should highlight the specific qualifications mentioned in the posting (i.e., point counts, mist- netting/banding, nest monitoring, and vegetation surveys) AND include dates of availability. Applications will be reviewed as received but will not be considered after 31 March 2015. Website: http://warnercnr.colostate.edu/fwcb-home
