Grassland Songbird Field Technicians (3)

Agency: University of Montana

Location: Judith Gap, MT

Salary: $15/hour + housing provided

Duration: late April or early May (depending on snow conditions) through mid/late July

Description

The Avian Science Center at the University of Montana is seeking three (3) field technicians to assist a graduate student monitoring grassland songbirds and vegetation from late April/early May through July 2025 (exact dates TBD) near Judith Gap, Montana. Judith Gap is a small town in central Montana located between the Big Snowy and Little Belt mountains. It is 30 minutes from the nearest grocery store, and about 2 hours from Billings. Housing will be provided. Here, you will get to experience the beautiful grasslands of Montana and the wildlife that calls it home! Focal species for this study are Chestnut-collared and Thick-billed Longspur, two grassland-obligate songbirds in steep decline, but data will be collected on all birds seen.

We are looking for technicians that are open to learning new skills, have good communication skills, are self-motivated and hardworking, honest, and can maintain a positive attitude under a variety of field conditions. Interested individuals should be comfortable walking up to 5 miles/day, working in groups, communicating with private landowners, driving a work vehicle, living in a rural environment, and working under a variety of conditions (cold mornings for most of the season, hot afternoons later in the season).

Primary Responsibilities: conducting avian transect surveys, vegetation transect surveys, songbird nest searching, nest monitoring, data entry, and data management. Training for songbird identification, vegetation identification, and survey methods will be provided.

Qualifications

• Must be 18 years of age or older and have a valid driver’s license
• Must be able to work a flexible schedule, with weekends and holidays possible depending on weather and data collection needs
• Comfortable walking up to 5 miles/day
• Must be detail-oriented, self-motivated, and honest
• Must be comfortable working with private landowners
• Must be able to work in a team setting and get along with others, as technicians will be living in shared housing

Preferred Qualities

• Familiarity or experience with identifying western birds by sight and sound and/or identifying native vs. nonnative vegetation
• Familiarity with songbird nest-searching methods
• Experience using GPS units
• Experience communicating with private landowners

Application Deadline: January 13th. Review of applicants will start at this date. Interviews will be conducted until the positions are filled. Applicants selected will be required to undergo a background check.

Applications contents: Please submit a cover letter, resume/CV, and contact information for 3 professional or academic references as a single PDF addressed to Lauren Hatch (asc@umontana.edu). Please include the phrase ‘Longspur Technician 2025’ in the email header.