The Seasonal Ornithologist will supervise and organize volunteer bird banders during winter migrant and breeding season songbird monitoring. Will also instruct Starr Ranch education programs, conduct point counts and area searches on a 4,000-acre Audubon Sanctuary. This position also plans and instructs Starr Ranch education programs, conducts point counts on a 4,000-acre Audubon Sanctuary, coordinates and organizes a Christmas Bird Count for a local Audubon Chapter, instructs bird banding workshops, and helps train volunteers for rare bird surveys.
The Seasonal Ornithologist is required to reside on-site in housing provided by Audubon as a condition of employment to properly perform the functions of bird banding, which require an early start to the banding day, usually between 4:30 am and 5:00 am when the birds are more active and the data is more easily obtainable and to gather the equipment needed, as well as arrive at the different locations, set up mist nets, and set up base stations before sunrise. During the afternoon hours it is usually too hot and the birds are not as active. This position also serves as a fire watch assistant throughout fire season, which the Orange County Fire Authority now considers to be year-long. The fire watch function is to try to prevent destructive wildfires set intentionally (i.e. arson) or unintentionally (e.g. cigarettes and campfires).
Housing will be provided in the “Cabin” located at 100 Bell Canyon Road, Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679. The cabin is a one story, one bedroom cabin in an oak woodland in the headquarters area that was constructed in 2001 and is in excellent condition. The house is fully furnished, including kitchen and linens. One individual is hired for this bird position, but in the event of a spouse, there would be two adults at most living in the cabin. No minors will live in the cabin. Utilities are paid by Audubon.
- Supervises and organizes long-term winter songbird banding (“MoSI”) and breeding season songbird banding (“MAPS”) in accordance with the Institute for Bird Populations’ MoSI and MAPS protocols, which state that all nets must be set up and ready to go by sunrise and be left up for 6 hours.
- Instructs Ecology Programs that emphasize avian and other wildlife research and Starr Ranch Junior Biologists Spring and Summer. Some programs (Evening Wildlife Survey and Western Screech-owl Survey) are during nighttime hours
- Plans, organizes, and instructs technical adult classes and camps on bird banding and other bird survey techniques
- Conducts rare bird surveys (Coastal California Gnatcatcher and San Diego Cactus Wren) and monitors other songbirds of the rare coastal sage scrub, oak woodlands, and riparian woodlands).
- Coordinates and organizes the southern area of the Sea and Sage Audubon Chapter Christmas Bird Count.
- Extensive experience and training in songbird banding, ageing, and sexing as well as other bird monitoring techniques.
- Certification as a Master bander, experience as a bird banding sub permittee or equivalent evidence of technical skill (references confirm a minimum of 500 - 1000 songbirds banded, aged, and sexed with competence) required.
- Experience planning and instructing classes or programs on biological subject for adults.