Volunteer Opportunities

Coyote Creek Field Station Maintenance
Coyote Creek Field Station Predator Patroller
Coyote Creek Field Station Bird Bander
Data Entry Volunteer
Avian Disease Prevention Field Volunteer
Colonial Waterbird Monitor
Banded Gull Re-sighting Volunteer
California Gull Colony Walkthroughs
Snowy Plover Recovery Surveyor
Bird Observatory Archivist and Librarian
Photo Library Organizer
Auction and Prize Procurement Volunteer

Landbird Program

Coyote Creek Field Station Maintenance
Season: Year-Round
Orientation: None
Time Commitment: One day

Description: The Coyote Creek Field Station is the Bird Observatory's year-round bird banding station. Coyote Creek Field Station maintenance includes helping to maintain trails, mist nets, and work around the station itself. This is fairly physical work requiring the ability to use basic gardening tools (trimmers, saws, rakes, etc.), working outside, standing for lengths of time, and carrying/lifting.

Experience Required: None.

Other Qualifications: Ability to use gardening tools, walk on uneven trails, and stand for lengths of time.

Accepting year-round inquiries; contact Josh Scullen at jscullen@sfbbo.org.

Coyote Creek Field Station Predator Patroller
Season: Year-Round
Orientation: As Needed
Time Commitment: Twice a month

Description: The Coyote Creek Field Station is the Bird Observatory's year-round bird banding station. Help patrol the mist nets for predators (mostly foxes, cats, and occasionally raptors). You will also be responsible for alerting the banders when birds are captured in the nets, transporting birds back to the trailer, and sometimes helping record data. We operate the nets on Wed, Sat, and Sun. You may show up at CCFS around 30 minutes after the nets are opened (between 5:30-7:10 a.m. depending on the month) and leave at net closing ( between 10:00-11:40 a.m. depending on the month).

Experience Required: None.

Other Qualifications: Ability to identify local predators, including differentiating between Red and Gray Fox.

Accepting inquiries until filled; contact Josh Scullen at jscullen@sfbbo.org.

Coyote Creek Field Station Bird Bander
Season: Year-Round
Orientation: See Experience Required
Time Commitment: Twice a month

Description: The Coyote Creek Field Station is the Bird Observatory's year-round bird banding station. We are looking for experienced bird banders to volunteer at the station. You must have experience ageing and sexing passerines, extracting birds from mist nests, and recording data. We operate the nets on Wed, Sat, and Sun. Nets open between 5:00-6:40 a.m. (depending on the month) and close between 10:00-11:40 a.m. (depending on the month).

Experience Required: Previous banding experience required, including familiarity with the Pyle Guide. Previous experience with western passerines a plus. NABC bander-certified applicants highly desirable. All applicants will have to be approved in the field by our master bander.

Other Qualifications: Ability to work early mornings and work well with others. Ability to interact with the public a plus.

Accepting inquiries until filled; please email a resume detailing your banding experience and contact information for 2 references to Josh Scullen at jscullen@sfbbo.org.

Data Entry Volunteer
Season: Year-Round
Orientation: As Needed
Time Commitment: Once a month

Description: We capture hundreds of birds each year at the Coyote Creek Field Station, the Bird Observatory's year-round bird banding station. Extensive data is collected for each individual we catch, and Bird Observatory biologists need these data entered before they can analyze the data.

Experience Required: None.

Other Qualifications: Good eyesight and organizational skills, and basic computing knowledge. Familiarity with Microsoft Access a plus.

Accepting year-round inquiries; contact Josh Scullen at jscullen@sfbbo.org.

Waterbird Program

Avian Disease Prevention Field Volunteer
Season: Summer and Fall
Orientation: None
Time Commitment: A commitment to at least 1 survey per month over the season is required. Each survey lasts 4-5 hrs.

Description: San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory monitors Alviso, Mallard (Artesian) and Guadalupe Sloughs for the cities of San Jose and Sunnyvale. The municipalities are required to monitor for botulism as part of their permit requirements to release treated fresh water from their water treatment facilities into the sloughs. Under contract, we monitor the sloughs by boat on a weekly basis during periods of warm weather, generally June to mid-November to collect all dead, sick and injured birds in the sloughs. We also collect any dead fish or mammals in order to prevent the spread of botulism.

Experience Required: No previous experience required.

Other Qualifications: Ability to drive a truck and trailer and/or outboard motor is helpful. Must not be afraid to get muddy and/or wet! Must be willing to handle (with proper protection) sick, injured and dead wildlife.

Accepting year-round inquiries; contact Caitlin Robinson-Nilsen at cnilsen@sfbbo.org. The Avian Disease Prevention Program (ADPP) surveys run from June - November.

Description: SFBBO has monitored colonial waterbirds since 1981. Beginning in early March and continuing through early August we track numbers of breeding herons, egrets, terns, gulls and other birds that nest in groups, or "colonies" around the Bay Area. These numbers add to a database that extends more than two decades, allowing us to document population trends. We also monitor the timing of nesting and evidence of disturbance and predation.

Experience Required: An orientation given by SFBBO is recommended for everyone who is going to be surveying for the first time. In addition, a field trip to the site can often be arranged with an SFBBO biologist or a volunteer with previous experience at the site.

Other Qualifications: Previous experience identifying the given species is preferred but not required; Ability to drive on dirt roads and possibly walk on uneven surfaces required, depending on the site; Ability to look through a spotting scope for extended periods of time a must!

Volunteer positions need to be filled by February 2010; contact Caitlin Robinson-Nilsen at cnilsen@sfbbo.org.

Banded Gull Re-sighting Volunteer
Season: Year-round
Orientation: As Needed
Time Commitment: Surveys occur once a month during the nonbreeding season and weekly during the breeding season. Volunteers choose their own survey dates within a three-day window around a weekend. Survey time varies by site, but plan for up to half a day. Due to bright sun and afternoon winds, surveys are generally best done in the early morning hours.

Description: Since 1983, the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory has banded more than 10,400 California Gulls in the South Bay. As the largest colony of nesting California Gulls (Pond A6 with over 23,000 gulls) is restored to tidal action as part of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, it is unknown where these displaced gulls will move or if they will impact other ground-nesting waterbirds in the South Bay. Banding and re-sighting gulls from this colony will help determine their movements after the restoration of A6.

In 2008 and 2009, we banded gulls with field-readable bands. These are large black bands with three white numbers. In 2010, SFBBO, in collaboration with the USGS, will band 500 California Gulls with yellow field-readable bands with 3 black numbers.

Experience Required: Good eyesight and experience scanning flocks of birds with a spotting scope. Patience is a must.

Other Qualifications: Previous experience re-sighting color bands; a truck, SUV, or other high clearance vehicle for some sites.

Accepting year-round inquiries; contact Caitlin Robinson-Nilsen at cnilsen@sfbbo.org.

California Gull Colony Walkthroughs
Season: 2nd or 3rd week of May
Orientation: None
Time Commitment: One day commitment, for 4 - 8 hours.

Description: For the past 30 years, SFBBO biologists and volunteers have documented the number of California Gulls nesting throughout the South Bay colonies by walking through the colony, counting nests, eggs, and chicks. This fieldwork can be hot, muddy, and smelly!

Experience Required: Ability to walk and stand in hot and muddy conditions. Some sites may involve kayaking.

Other Qualifications: A sense of humor and no fear of mud.

Accepting inquiries; contact Caitlin Robinson-Nilsen at cnilsen@sfbbo.org.

Other Qualifications: Previous experience identifying plovers is preferred but not required; Ability to drive on dirt roads and possibly walk on uneven surfaces required, depending on the site; Ability to look through a spotting scope for extended periods of time a must!

Volunteer positions need to be filled by February 2010; contact Caitlin Robinson-Nilsen at cnilsen@sfbbo.org.

Outreach & Fundraising

Bird Observatory Archivist and Librarian
Time Commitment: Once a month or more frequently; 2 - 3 hrs each time. Volunteers may choose their own set date for each month.

Description: The Bird Observatory library and collections provide a wealth of information on ornithology, as well as organization-specific information on research and history. However, the books and journals need to be organized and catalogued. Volunteers with an interest in the organization's history may also create displays and scrapbooks.

Experience Required: Experience in library science is helpful for cataloguing the books.

Other Qualifications: Good organizational skills, motivation, and an interest in local history are helpful.

Accepting year-round inquiries; contact Jill Demers at jdemers@sfbbo.org.

Photo Library Organizer
Time Commitment: 2 - 4 times per month; 3 - 6 hrs each time. Volunteers may choose their hours and days.

Description: The Bird Observatory needs help organizing our electronic photo library. We receive hundreds of images from photographers each year, which, to be effectively used, needs organization into a searchable database.

Experience Required: Identification of birds from photographs. Experience using a photo management program a plus.

Other Qualifications: Good organizational skills, motivation, and an interest in the Bird Observatory's history are helpful.

Accepting year-round inquiries; contact Jill Demers at jdemers@sfbbo.org.

Auction and Prize Donation Procurement Volunteer
Please see the complete job description here.

Term: Appointment is for six months, May through October
Time Commitment: Average of 1 hour per week May - September; additional hours September - October (approximately 5 hours per week).

Description: We are planning for our Fall Events and need a volunteer to oversee the acquisition of items to be sold at the Silent Auction or given as top prizes for California Fall Challenge Fundraisers at the Annual Meeting event. This volunteer will with the Silent Auction Manager to ensure that all donation procurement planning, execution, and follow-up is conducted in a timely basis. 

Experience Required: Some sales or fundraising experience a plus. Must have basic computer skills and access to a computer, a valid driver’s license and insurance, and ability to temporarily store donations.

Other Qualifications: Ability to work proactively and independently, promote the mission and activities of SFBBO with enthusiasm, and willingness to have fun with the event.

Accepting inquiries; contact Melanie Kimbel at mkimbel@sfbbo.org.

Looking for other ways to volunteer for the California Fall Challenge? Contact Melanie Kimbel at at mkimbel@sfbbo.org for more information.