Spring Migration Bird Banders (3)

Description: Three banders needed from March 1 through May 31st to assist with the 27th year of migration banding at the Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory (FBBO). Operating continuously since 1998, the banding station is located on Washington College's River and Field Campus, a 5,000 farm just outside of quaint Chestertown, MD. During spring migration we band an average of 3,400 birds with diversity of 102 species including hummingbirds, shorebirds and raptors. Maryland has a vibrant birding scene and Chestertown is within easy driving distance to cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Duties: The major role of the banders is to extract and band birds. Some communication with the public and visitors may be required. Minor tasks include net repair and minimal data entry. Optional nest box monitoring and banding of nestlings is available if of interest.

Qualifications: Applicants must have prior experience mist netting (processed at least 1,000 birds) and must have at least one season’s experience of migration banding. They should be comfortable aging and sexing eastern passerines and near-passerines. NABC bander certification is highly desirable. Must be able to comfortably get along with all types of folks (student interns, volunteers, etc.).

Compensation: $17.00/hour for a 40 hours a week (with 2 days off). Shared housing is provided.

To Apply: Applications must be submitted through Washington College’s website here: https://www.washcoll.edu/people_departments/offices/human-resources/employment/index.php  where it is listed as “Research Assistant - Bird Bander.”   Please upload a single file including your cover letter, resume and references. Make sure your cover letter includes the number of birds you’ve processed, and put your last name in the file name. Questions can be directed to Maren Gimpel mgimpel2@washcoll.edu