Kirtland’s Warbler Paid Internships (Pairing Rate Project)

Kirtland’s Warbler Paid Internships (Pairing Rate Project) – Approximately May 5 to July 5-15 (dates somewhat flexible) – We are looking for seven field technicians to assist with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center’s ongoing research on the Kirtland’s Warbler in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Our goals for this project are to: 1) document what factors (e.g., habitat age, type, connectivity) influence the probability that males successfully pair with females, and 2) quantify the singing and space use behavior of unpaired males. Fieldwork will primarily involve assisting a M.S. student in observing color-banded birds to determine pairing status and radio-tracking males to estimate home range size and space use. In addition, 1-2 interns will assist in capturing, banding, and radio-tagging adult birds. There are two other ongoing Kirtland’s Warbler projects this year and housing will be shared among teams, so there will be opportunities to interact with the other teams. Interns will also assist in re-sighting of birds to help with our geolocator project as well. In your cover letters, please clearly highlight your experience in each of the areas mentioned above. Please provide an estimate of how many songbirds you have removed from nets, banded, and/or tagged.

To be a successful applicant for this position, the candidate will need to be flexible, independently motivated, show strong initiative, and be willing and physically able to spend long days navigating dense stands of jack pines with cold mornings and hot afternoons 6 days per week for the duration of the season.

Interns will receive a stipend of $625per week. Shared housing, a field vehicle, and ground transportation from Detroit Metro Airport (if necessary) will be provided at no cost. The field sites are located across beautiful northern Michigan with teams based near Grayling, Michigan. Great canoeing, bird watching, fly fishing, and other recreational opportunities exist in the area. This internship position is ideal for students and recent undergraduates with relevant field experience looking to expand their skills in ornithological fieldwork and research as they prepare for graduate school or a career in research. More information about the Cooper Lab can be found at www.nathanwcooper.com

To apply, please send a 1-page cover letter and a Resume/CV with contact information for 3 references as a single .pdf file. Name this file “Your_Last_Name_KIWA_Pairing_Rate_Intern.pdf” and send to Dr. Nathan W. Cooper (coopern@si.edu). Please also put “Your_Last_Name_KIWA_Pairing_Rate_Intern” in the subject line of the email. Please let us know in the cover letter how you found out about this position. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, so please apply ASAP.