Songbird Field Technicians (3) – Fort Drum, New York

The Roth Lab at the University of Maine is seeking Field Technicians (3) to assist with a Golden-winged Warbler and Blue-winged Warbler (genus Vermivora) demography study on Fort Drum Army Base in New York.

Primary duties will include nest searching, mist-netting, banding adult and nestling Vermivora, attaching telemetry tags, tracking movements of tagged individuals, and vegetation sampling. Fieldwork will start early in the morning and take place in densely vegetated habitats over variable terrain, potentially in inclement weather. Successful applicants will be adaptable to periodic schedule changes, unpredictable days off, and be able to hike for numerous hours each day. Applicants must also be willing to work and live with other crewmates and possess a positive attitude in the face of challenging field conditions. Detail-oriented applicants with prior nest-searching, banding, and radio-telemetry skills will take preference.

Lodging will be provided at the Remington Park cabins on Fort Drum. Transportation to-and-from lodging and field sites will also be provided, though mileage reimbursements may be available for those who are able to use their personal vehicles. Transportation from Maine is available depending on applicant’s living location at the beginning of the field season.

Situated between the Adirondack Mountains and Lake Ontario, this area of New York has diverse outdoor recreation opportunities to enjoy during time off. Access passes for fishing, hunting, and overnight camping are available on Fort Drum. This region also provides excellent birding, and there is potential to encounter over twenty species of parulid warblers in a single day.

Position dates: ~May 1, 2022 through late July 2022, with the opportunity to extend positions for additional weeks to complete vegetation sampling. Technicians will work 40 hours/week.

Pay rate: $15.32/hour

Fieldwork during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The field crew will follow pre-determined COVID-19 safety protocols approved by the University of Maine, Fort Drum, and New York State to insure the safest working conditions. Safety protocols include wearing face masks and social distancing during interactions with non-field crew and limiting interactions outside of the field crew for the duration of the field season. Successful applicants will be able to provide documentation of vaccination prior to joining the field crew, or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours, should preexisting medical conditions prevent individuals from receiving vaccinations.

Required Qualifications:

• Comfortable hiking for numerous hours in dense, regenerating forests with biting insects (ticks, black and deer flies, and mosquitoes).
• Ability to visually and aurally identify target bird species.
• Ability to work independently and as a team in the field.
• Patient, flexible, reliable, and hardworking.
• Ability to drive to field sites on Fort Drum
• Clear a background check to enter a military base.
• Navigate using a GPS, compass, and topographic map.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience nest searching and nest monitoring songbirds.
• Capturing, banding, and attaching telemetry tags to songbirds.
• Resighting color bands.
• Tracking individuals using radio-telemetry.

To Apply: Submit a letter of interest, resume, and contact information for 3 references in a single PDF document to Kurt Ongman (email: fortdrum.vermivora@gmail.com). Application review will begin immediately and continue until positions are filled.