Field assistant positions in the Social Savanna bird project, Eswatini

We are looking for field assistants to join the Social Savanna Project Social Savannah Project - BHE (behaviouralecology.nl) on wild bird populations in Mbuluzi Game Reserve, Eswatini. The broad aim of the Social Savanna project is to perform research on the reproductive and social behaviours of a number of sympatric bird species with different breeding systems in order to understand the evolution and maintenance of animal sociality. We have two vacancies to work on cooperatively-breeding Southern black tits (Melaniparus niger) and arrow-marked babblers (Turdoides jardineii), respectively.

Position 1: Southern black tits, July-October 2023. Duties include:
- Making and hanging 200 nest boxes across the study site
- Regularly monitoring all nest boxes for nesting activity
- Catching, ringing and sampling birds and conducting behavioural observations
- Conducting standardised vegetation/arthropod surveys
- Data entry and management
- Fieldwork equipment and (basic) vehicle maintenance

Position 2: Arrow-marked babblers, July-December 2023. Duties include:
- Surveying babbler groups and mapping territory locations
- Catching, ringing and sampling birds and conducting behavioural observations
- Locating and monitoring nesting attempts
- Assisting with various experiments and video recording
- Conducting standardised vegetation/arthropod surveys
- Data entry and management
- Fieldwork equipment and (basic) vehicle maintenance

Field assistants will be stationed at the Savanna Research Centre (Savannah Research Centre - All Out Africa Foundation) as part of a collaborative research team of PIs, PhD and MSc students and field assistants from the Universities of Wageningen (the Netherlands) and Eswatini. The centre is in a remote but beautiful location and offers basic shared sanitary facilities, a research building and clean but basic tented accommodation and food. Fieldwork is conducted 6 days a week from first light until dusk, mostly on foot and by bike (experience with cycling on dirt tracks and paths is a bonus). The field site can be very challenging; the successful candidate must be able to cope with hot and dry conditions, dense thorny vegetation and biting insects. Although the fieldwork can be tough it is also hugely rewarding; we are looking for someone who relishes these kinds of challenges (as we do!).

We are looking for candidates who:

-        Have experience mist netting and ringing birds

-        Have experience observing birds; ability to read colour-rings is advantageous

-        Are physically fit and able to cope with long working hours and very physically demanding work in a tough environment

-        Can work independently on their assigned tasks but also work well as part of the larger field team on communal data collection and other group tasks

-        Are happy to live and work in a remote location (there is a small village with shops nearby but opportunities to leave the reserve are limited).

What we offer:

-        Full payment of accommodation, food and reserve fees at the study site

-        Full compensation for costs of travel to and from the field site from the candidate’s current location

-        Opportunities to learn and practice important research and data collection skills

-        Living and working in a biodiversity hotspot in a beautiful location!

We are looking to fill these positions soon and will stop reviewing applications once suitable candidates have been found, so we encourage potential candidates to apply ASAP. Please send a brief CV and a cover letter explaining your suitability for the project, relevant work experience and which position you are interested in (please indicate if you would like to apply for both).

Please submit your application to:

Dr Kat Bebbington, Wageningen University and Research, kat.bebbington@wur.nl