Job Description: Breeding Bird Atlas Point Count Technician 2021
Employer: Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (temporary)
Location: Sites across Maine
Country: United States
Last Date to Apply: February 19, 2021
Employment Dates: 10 May – 1 August (12 weeks)
Job Description: The Maine Breeding Bird Atlas is looking to hire 1 or 2 technicians for its 2021 spring/summer “road-based” point count crew and 1 technician for its 2021 marshbird point count crew. Technicians will be responsible for conducting point counts every suitable morning between mid- to late-May and early-July. Field work will occur across Maine, although each technician will be primarily responsible for a particular region of the state. Some routes may be in very remote/back country regions of the state. Technicians will be responsible for recording all birds detected by sight and sound at pre-determined stationary points following appropriate protocols, conducting breeding bird surveys and coding breeding behaviors, and recording most data into Excel spreadsheets and eBird. Some night work and off-road hiking, biking, or boating may be required. Comfort working alone is required. The field season will begin with a 3-day training/calibration session (starting the week of May 10 in Gouldsboro, Maine or online) in visual and acoustic bird identification skills, our specific point count techniques, backcountry orienteering and safety, and wilderness camping skills before deployment to various locations throughout the state. Technicians can expect physically demanding work, long work days that may begin well before dawn, wet, cold weather, mosquitoes and blackflies, occasional contact with bears and other wildlife, and areas with no cell service. End date can be somewhat flexible.
Qualifications: Point Count Technicians must be able to identify Maine land and water birds by sight and sound. Prior experience with point counts is required for the “road-based” crew but not the marshbird crew. All technicians will be required to pass a birder certification test. All technicians must have valid driver’s license and own a vehicle. Must be willing to work early mornings and long hours in a variety of conditions. Will be expected to work independently, follow all survey protocols, and navigate by GPS on and off-road.
Compensation: Each Point Count Technician will receive $6,600 ($550/week) for the completion of point counts and atlas block surveys from mid-May to early-August. If you are assigned to extremely remote areas of Maine, compensation will be $7,200 ($600/week). These positions are overtime eligible. All technicians are responsible for providing their own camping equipment and gear, lodging, transportation to and from Maine, and food. We will make efforts to secure primitive camping or free housing options for you near where you are stationed. Gas and mileage will be reimbursed.
To Apply: Electronic applications are required and should be sent to Glen Mittelhauser, mainebirdatlas@gmail.com. Please include:
- A cover letter and resume or CV indicating your interest and qualifications, names and contact information (email and phone) of 3 references, and birder certification test results for the Maine region (testing center: www.birdercertification.org). Please specify the regions of Maine that you prefer to work in and if you have a 4WD vehicle. Also specify if you are interested in the “road-based” and/or marshbird positions.
- To document your audio and visual bird identification levels, attach screen shots of your audio and visual birder certification test results from www.birdercertification.org.
Please provide cover letter and resume/CV in one document and include “Breeding Bird Atlas Point Count Technician” in the email’s subject line.
