09/27 Volunteer Assistants for bird breeding ecology study in China

We are looking for volunteer field assistants for our study of avian behavioral ecology in the Dongzhai National Nature Reserve in China. The volunteers are expected to assist in two projects: (1) black-throated and silver-throated tit project, which will be focusing on interspecific comparison of incubation behavior and respective adaption to climate variation; and 2) Japanese tit project, which will be focusing on how personality traits are associated with reproductive performance in a newly established nest-box population.

The volunteers will be working with a crew of 6-10 people, including students, field technician and other volunteers. Duties of both project include identifying color-ring-banded individuals, searching for and checking nests, mist-netting birds, observing behaviors and conducting experiments, etc.

The black-throated and silver-throated tit project will start at the beginning of February and end in mid-May, and the Japanese tit project will start at the same time as the former project, but will probably end at the end of June or the beginning of July. The duration of the Japanese tit project will be late February to June 20, 2019. The volunteer can be joining the projects at any time, but those with a minimum stay of two or more months are preferred.

The two projects are both conducted at the Dongzhai National Nature Reserve, a well-known birding spot located in the Henan province of central China. Volunteers will have opportunities to learn field skills of ornithological research, see many Chinese bird species, and experience Chinese tradition and culture.

The projects will cover all work-related expenses during the volunteering period (i.e. housing, foods, and traffics, etc.), but there is no salary, and the assistants are responsible for their travel to and from China.

Qualifications:

1. Strong interest in wildlife research, especially birds and animal behaviors;

2. A background in biology, ecology or a related field. Previous experience with birds is preferred, but not essential (basic training, such as mist-netting and behavioral observation, will be provided).

3. Be physically fit for field work and willing to work for long and irregular time in the field.

4. Be used to Chinese diet and be willing to share rooms with other crew members.

To apply:

For black-throated and silver-throated tit project, please contact Robyn Geldard at robyngeldard@bjfu.edu.cn; and for Japanese tit project, please contact Jiangnan YIN at "jiangnan_yin@126.com". The application should include (1) a short resume or CV, (2) the dates you will be available for the project and (3) the names and contact information of at least two references. When applying, your kind cooperation to copy your email to luckytit@163.com will be appreciated.