Bird Studies Canada's (BSC) BC program is seeking a highly motivated research assistant for approximately three months (early May to the end of July), to simultaneously provide support to a post-doctoral study into sapsucker hybrid zones in British Columbia, and conduct point count and breeding evidence surveys for the British Columbia Breeding Bird Atlas. The Atlas is a five-year field project to determine the distribution and abundance of all bird species breeding in the province. For more information, visit www.birdatlas.bc.ca.
The work will take place along three transects (Bella Bella to Williams Lake, Fort St. James to Chetwyndd, and Kamloops to Lethbridge). Under the direction of the post-doctoral research fellow, you will be helping to catch sapsuckers using call playback techniques, mist-nets and dip-nets, and assist the process of collecting data on those caught birds. Under the direction of the BC Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator and relevant Regional Coordinators, who will provide you with priority 10km grid squares, you will be conducting five-minute point count and breeding evidence surveys following standard BC Breeding Bird Atlas protocols to complete gaps in coverage along the transect routes. The work will often involve long days, always starting early in the morning, travel in a 4WD vehicle and tent camping for much of the time. You will also be responsible for entering all the data you collect using spreadsheets and web-based data entry systems.
Requirements:
- Ability to Identify western Canada's birds by sight and sound;
- Comfortable working long days starting early in the morning;
- Tent-camping (especially in remote areas); - Working in a team environment;
- Familiarity using spreadsheets and web-based data entry systems
- Candidates must be legally entitled to work in Canada and hold a valid driver's license.
Additional assets/skills:
- Experience mist-netting and handling birds, and a banding permit;
- Familiarity with British Columbia, particularly northern, central and south-eastern parts of the province, its biogeography and avifauna;
- First Aid Certification, preferably Wilderness First Aid;
- Navigation in remote areas with map, compass, GPS
Salary: $2,050 - $2,350/month, depending on experience; plus accommodation (mostly tent camping).
Please send your expression of interest, highlighting your birding and field experience, plus the names and addresses of two references, and your atlasser ID# if you have one, to Pete Davidson at pdavidson@birdscanada.org.
Deadline: Tuesday, April 19, 2010, 11:59 pm Pacific time.
While BSC appreciates all applications, only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.
