Want to learn more about neotropical bird species, bird census techniques, and avian field work? Want to spend time living and learning about the jungle in the beautiful country of Belize? Want to learn from professional ornithologists?  Then this is the internship for you!

The goal of this internship is to give the student various experiences in tropical avian studies that will aid the student in developing their skills for a variety of future education and employment opportunities. The main component of the project will be to work with Ecorana tutors and T.R.E.E.S staff in establishing long-term bird monitoring projects (observational surveys and mark-recapture) that are part of a bigger project looking into seasonality off breeding, moult, and movement (resident as well as neotropical migrants) and how it correlates to insect abundance and plant flowering and seed production.

In addition to the survey work to be conducted at the T.R.E.E.S Research Center, the intern(s) will also potentially have the opportunity to visit other avian conservation projects in Belize and volunteer for a few days on them, including at the Bird Rescue Center (a rehabilitation project) and on a scarlet macaw breeding project in the Chiquibul forest.

We are looking for interns who are independent yet willing to work in a team environment. Applicants should have a certain level of avian identification skills and should be interested in improving their techniques for proper bird identification and survey methods applicable in the tropics. Applicants should have a desire for learning about the incredible biodiversity of Belize through systematic field surveys and data collection.

Tasks

    • Learn tropical birds by sight and sound in the Maya Mountains.
    • Learn to use E-bird
    • Learn and perform a variety of bird surveys that will be most adequate to answer project questions, including: point-counts, callback surveys, transect lines, bird behaviour observational techniques, etc.
    • Provide assistance at the T.R.E.E.S banding station; help with the implementation of the banding station, setting-up nets, respecting banding protocols, and bird identification using Pyle. Depending on comfort level of student they may or may not extract birds from nets.
    • Possibility of learning bird recording techniques.
    • Help in establishing a more complete birds of T.R.E.E.S audio CD.
    • Work with T.R.E.E.S researchers, international collaborators, and other interns on the development of protocol design.
    • Implement protocols in the field using the help of T.R.E.E.S staff and tutors to find the best places to set-up monitoring plots.
    • Be trained on use of GPS to navigate to and mark point count locations.
    • Share knowledge with locals and with other fields.
    • Learn to enter data in a systematic manner and compile it into a scientific report with introduction and literature review, methods, results (including basic statistical analysis), and discussion using peer-reviewed scientific articles.
    • Work on specific projects depending on time of year; nest surveys, White-Collared Manakin observation, owl surveys, etc.
    • Complete a short 4-5 page summary report that will help to establish future research protocols.
  • Depending on involvement in project, may have opportunity to collaborate on future publications.

To Apply

Please email your resume, application form, and a thoughtful cover letter to: info@ecorana.ca (international students) OR info@treesociety.org (Belizean students)

Application Form: Internship Application Form

For more information on our partner organization and their facilities please visit the website: www.treesociety.org 

Please indicate the position title in your email subject line. No phone calls please.

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