Avian Field Technician

The University of Delaware is hiring an Avian Field Technician for the Letterkenny songbird project in Chambersburg, PA, for spring and summer 2025. Responsibilities include nest searching, capturing and banding songbirds, and maintaining equipment. Candidates should have experience in nest searching, bird identification, and data collection. The position requires working independently and as part of a team. Compensation is $18/hour, with provided housing.
• November 11, 2024
Employer: University of Delaware

Location: Chambersburg, PA

Country: United States

Last Date to Apply: No value

Open Until Filled: Yes

The Aeroecology Program at The University of Delaware is hiring one Avian Field Technician for the spring and summer of 2025. We seek an experienced and enthusiastic crew member to assist with all aspects of the Letterkenny songbird project. Duties will include nest searching for focal species, capturing focal species to band and deploy radio tags, maintaining a node network and MOTUS receivers, and more. The team member must be able to work independently without direct supervision and will sometimes be expected to lead the crew.

The Letterkenny songbird project is part of the larger Northern Bobwhite project at Letterkenny Army Depot (LEAD) in Chambersburg, PA. LEAD is 3,756 acres with about 2,700 acres that is intensively managed early successional habitat. In collaboration with PGC and biologists at LEAD, we are studying the habitat use of both quail and songbirds using a large node array and radio transmitters. The songbird portion of the project strives to understand breeding season and post-fledging habitat use, movement, and survival of three PA SGCN (YBCH, EATO, EAME) that occur on LEAD. This position may be asked to help with NOBO field work on occasion.

Required skills

· Nest-searching experience in early successional habitat

· Identifying North American birds by sight and sound

· Proficiency extracting passerines from mist-nets

· Proficiency banding and processing passerines

· Proficiency in GIS programs

· Ability to endure long hours in the field in highly variable weather conditions

· Ability and willingness to work as part of a team, and regularly communicate with team members

· Excellent data collection skills (detailed, accurate, legible, accordance with protocols).

Preferred skills

· Deploying radio tags on songbirds

· Excellent trouble-shooting skills

· Experience with MOTUS

· Mist-net repair

Compensation: $18.00/hour. Housing will be provided in Chambersburg or surrounding area and will be shared with graduate students and interns. A personal vehicle is not needed for field work, but you must have a driver’s license to drive field vehicles.

Length of Appointment: March 17 through August 31, 2025

To apply, send MS student Grace Muench (gmuench@udel.edu) an application package including your CV, a cover letter/letter of interest, banding resume, and contact information for three references.