Employer:
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute/ Virginia Tech
Location:
Tiputini Biodiversity Station
Country:
Ecuador
Last Date to Apply:
15 Sep 2015
Description:
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and Virginia Tech are seeking two seasonal field technicians to work on an NSF funded project investigating the proximate links between hormones, neuroendocrine gene expression, behavioral phenotypes, and social network structure in a cooperative lek-breeding bird, the wire-tailed manakin (Pipra filicauda).

The project will run from December to March and technicians will be expected to make a minimum three-month time commitment. Start and end dates are flexible. Fieldwork will be conducted at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the Ecuadorian Amazon. This field site is a 650-hectare tract of pristine lowland rainforest adjacent to Yasuni National Park, one of the most biodiverse regions in the world.

Qualified applicants must have extensive ornithological field experience, preferably studying tropical birds. Technical field skills should include mist-netting, banding, blood-sampling and color-band re-sighting. Experience with nest-searching and telemetry are considered a plus. All competitive applicants will also have meticulous data collection skills, good inter-personal skills, and the ability to work independently.

The field site is extremely remote and technicians will be expected to work long-hours in hot, humid, buggy, and often rainy conditions. Candidates must be in excellent physical shape with the ability to carry 50+ pounds and walk long distances on muddy trails. The fieldwork will be physically and mentally demanding. Two positions are currently available and we encourage Latin Americans seeking more field experience to apply. North American applicants do not need to speak Spanish, but this is highly desirable.

All travel expenses will be paid (international airfare, food and lodging) and, for Latin Americans, a small stipend will be available commensurate with experience. To apply please send a single PDF document that includes a cover letter, CV/Resume and contacts for at least three professional references. Submit materials to Dr. Brandt Ryder via email (pipra.filicauda@gmail.com) with the subject line heading of "MANAKIN FIELD TECH". Hiring will begin immediately.

Source: http://ornithologyexchange.org/