Job title: Volunteer (unpaid) field assistant on Hispaniolan Woodpecker behavioral ecology
Field assistants (3-4) needed for a study of ecology of colonial, cooperative breeding and foraging behavior in the Hispaniolan Woodpecker in the Dominican Republic. Field research assistants will participate in data collection during an intensive ~6-month field season. Assistant duties will include (but are not limited to) nest-searching, assisting with bird capture and processing, nest monitoring, focal behavioral observations (including nest watches and foraging records), assisting with tree-climbing, color-band reading, and data entry. Assistants are needed to arrive on 14 February (though there is some flexibility with start date) and to remain until 16 August. Applications will be accepted until positions are filled. Location: Piedra Blanca (and surrounding area), La Vega province, Dominican Republic Job description: The Hispaniolan Woodpecker (Melanerpes striatus) breeds colonially and observations suggest the species demonstrates some form of cooperative breeding, where ≥3 birds contribute care to a single brood. Little is known about the extent and form of cooperative breeding in this species, and fieldwork in the current field season will focus on describing the social organization of woodpecker colonies, attempting to answer such questions as: 1) how commonly do supernumary birds occur? 2) do individuals simultaneously attend >1 nest? These observations will help inform work in subsequent field seasons, including answering questions about the costs, benefits, and consequences of group living and the operation of sexual selection in cooperative societies. Field research assistants will participate in data collection during an intensive ~6-month field season. Assistant duties will include (but are not limited to) nest-searching, assisting with bird capture and processing, nest monitoring, focal behavioral observations (including nest watches and foraging records), assisting with tree-climbing, color-band reading, and data entry. Days will be long and the work will be physically and mentally demanding, but for those seeking to gain experience in field research you won’t be disappointed. The workweek will typically be 6 days long in humid, mosquito-filled fields and forests, involving hiking muddy, steep hills, climbing barbed-wire fences, and avoiding bulls; this work will leave you exhausted at the end of the day! Assistants will be involved in all aspects of the project, including discussions of the conceptual framework of the project. Neotropical bird species are generally poorly known with many aspects of their natural history incomplete or wholly unknown. Hispaniola is an island with many endemic and/or poorly known species that will reveal their intriguing secrets to those motivated and patient enough to look. While our work will focus primarily on Hispaniolan Woodpecker, opportunities to collect data on the island’s other poorly known avian denizens may arise, and we will exploit these opportunities when possible. Any such observations of other bird species made by field assistants may result in publications (so an added bonus of this fieldwork is the possibility of not only adding a publication to your CV but making a real contribution to our knowledge of Hispaniolan birds and Neotropical ornithology). That having been said, the woodpecker research will take priority. Dates: ~14 February – 16 August 2014. For approximately three weeks in July (6 – 30 July), field assistants will maintain research efforts in the absence of the PI while he returns briefly to the United States to be married! College graduates and undergraduates are encouraged to apply. Current college students are encouraged to apply for academic credit for their work at their home institution. Salary: Housing, drinking water, and travel to/from the field site within Dominican Republic will also be covered. Deadline: Until positions are filled Qualifications: Those with previous field experience (especially those who have bird-handling and/or behavioral observation experience) and a strong interest in bird behavior are highly preferred, but such skills are not absolutely necessary (indeed, I will train you with numerous field protocols). Other important qualifications include: 1) willingness to work very long hours in tropical conditions (that means buggy, sweaty, and very wet), 2) commitment to paying attention to detail (e.g., writing legibly) for the entire ~6 months of work, 3) ability to get along well with and be respectful of others in a very cramped environment (you will be in close contact with myself and 2-3 other field assistant for the whole ~6 months; there is also a possibility a local volunteer or two will assist with the project), 4) ability and willingness to work alone or jointly in the field and to work in an area where encounters with venomous invertebrates is a very real possibility (there are plenty of bees, wasps, and ants; fortunately, though, there are no venomous snakes), 5) good color vision (essential for distinguishing color-bands), 6) willingness to cook (we will prepare nearly all meals), 7) willingness to contribute to general upkeep of living quarters (e.g., cleaning dishes, sweeping and cleaning the house, locking up, etc.), and 8) an open mind. Spanish language competency is a big plus! Applicants must have a strong interest in field research as a possible or definite career goal (i.e., applying because you’d like to see a tropical forest before going off to medical school is not something I’m looking for). Application: Please send: 1) a cover letter (1 page) detailing your interests and career goals and how you see this internship fitting in with them, 2) a resume or CV (keep it to relevant details), 3) an unofficial transcript (or simple list of courses and grades on a spreadsheet), and 4) the names and contact information (email and phone) of 2 references (ideally with some experience with how you work in a research/field context). APPLY ONLY IF YOU CAN PARTICIPATE FOR THE ENTIRE ~6 MONTHS OF THE FIELD SEASON AND DO NOT REQUIRE A STIPEND. Contact: Joshua B. LaPergola email: jbl96 AT cornell.edu
