Experienced Bird Bander

Location: St. Andrews Bird Banding Station, Huntsman Marine Science Centre, St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick

Anticipated Period: August 21 - October 23, 2023

Commitment: Bird banding and observations (count period of 5.5 hours) daily for nine weeks, except on days with inclement weather, and general station maintenance

Rate of Pay: $500 stipend per week (pending funding)

St. Andrews Bird Banding Station (StABBS) has been catching and banding songbirds since June 1989. Over the past 34 years, 27,514 birds representing 103 species have been banded. These totals make it the longest running, most productive bird banding station in New Brunswick. StABBS is the only New Brunswick contributor to the nation-wide CMMN songbird-monitoring program and has been monitoring the Fall songbird migration on an annual basis since 2001. One can expect to catch a good variety of warblers, sparrows, flycatchers, vireos and thrushes, even the odd northern rarity at this small 12-net Station.

One to two experienced bird banders are needed for the fall migration-monitoring project at St. Andrews Bird Banding Station. Banders must have experience extracting birds from mist-nets, as well as handling and identifying passerines, unsupervised. The preferred candidate is eligible to obtain a sub-permit to band birds. Two positions are open: one to start 21 August for five weeks and another to start around 25 September for four weeks. Accommodation, including lodging and weekday meals, is provided on the Huntsman Marine Science Centre campus (www.huntsmanmarine.ca) at no cost.

The Huntsman Marine Science Centre is a not-for-profit charity organization with a focus on ocean conservation and marine education and research. The Fundy Discovery Aquarium operates seasonally from May to October providing visitation and hands-on experiences for over 30,000 visitors annually. Huntsman also recently launched Huntsman Marine Experiences™ to provide greater interaction across a range of marine biology related activities for tourists to St. Andrews.

Responsibilities:

·       Help setting up mist-nets at the start of the season and/or removing mist-nets at the end of the season

·       Operate the banding station for 5.5 hours daily, including five hours of mist-netting

·       Record banding/observations data and perform minor station maintenance (e.g., net mending and vegetation trimming)

·       Prioritize bird safety above all and promptly report any concern

·       Ensure all human and bird health, safety and security procedures are adhered

·       Remain professional, friendly and passionate at all times with other staff and guests

·       Maintain a neat, clean and organized work environment at all times

·       Assist in any other related duties as required

·       Opportunity to initiate and collaborate on research and education activities

·       Opportunity for data entry in Bandit and report writing

Minimum Requirements:

·       Strong bird banding, extraction, and identification skills

·       Strong ability to work independently, unsupervised, and with integrity

·       High standards of organization, detail orientation, and record keeping

·       Enjoy working in an outdoor setting in various weather conditions

·       Effective oral and written communication skills

·       Must be able to wear personal protective equipment (if applicable), such as a face mask, for extended periods of time and follow instructions to appropriately sanitize on a regular basis due to COVID-19 public health requirements

Additional Assets:

·       Eligibility to apply for sub-permit

·       Experience with statistics and data entry

·       Availability of own vehicle (eligible transportation costs will be reimbursed, pending funding)

·       Enjoy researching, educating and writing report

Applications will be accepted until August 1st, 2022. Please send a short email of interest and CV to Anna Tran Nguyen (at.ngth@gmail.com) outlining (1) how you meet minimum requirements, including number/types of birds banded and extracted, (2) your additional assets, and (3) the position(s) of interest and transportation means. Please note that we are creating a shortlist of banders interested in the opportunity pending funding confirmation in July. If you will still accept the position without funding, please mention this in the email.

Anna Tran Nguyen

Huntsman Marine Science Centre

1 Lower Campus Road, St. Andrews, NB E5B 2L7

Email: at.ngth@gmail.com