Volunteer Opportunities

Coyote Creek Field Station Maintenance
Coyote Creek Field Station Data Entry Volunteer
Coyote Creek Field Station Predator Patroller
Coyote Creek Field Station Extractor
Coyote Creek Field Station Bird Bander
Avian Disease Prevention Field Volunteer
Colonial Waterbird Monitor
Banded Gull Re-sighting Volunteer
Bird Observatory Archivist and Librarian
Photo Library Organizer
Prize Procurement Volunteer

Landbird Program

Coyote Creek Field Station Maintenance
Season: Year-Round
Orientation: As needed
Time Commitment: Two days

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 heavy objects

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 Data Entry Volunteer
Season: Year-Round
Orientation: As Needed
Time Commitment: Four months, two days per 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, Bird Observatory biologists need these data entered into our database before they can analyze them.

Experience Required: Familiarity with Microsoft Windows OS and the Microsoft Office environment.

Other Qualifications: Familiarity with banding data and Microsoft Access a plus.

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: Six months, one day per month

Description: The Coyote Creek Field Station is the Bird Observatory's year-round bird banding station. The field station operates on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Join our team of long-term volunteers and help patrol the mist nets for predators (mostly foxes, cats, and occasionally raptors). You will also be responsible for alerting other volunteers when birds are captured in the nets, transporting birds back to the banding trailer, and helping record data as needed. The Predator Patroller shift begins 10 minutes prior to local sunrise (San Jose) and ends 5 hours later. Individuals able for volunteer for an extended period of time (two or more years) will be offered training opportunities to progress to the Extractor position after the minimum Predator Patroller time commitment has been fulfilled.

Experience Required: None.

Other Qualifications: Ability to work well during early mornings and in a team environment, stand for several hours and walk on uneven trails. Must be able 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 Extractor
Season: Year-Round
Orientation: Volunteers will perform the duties of a Predator Patroller while their skills are evaluated by a qualified trainer.
Time Commitment: Twelve months (one year), two days per month

Description: The Coyote Creek Field Station is the Bird Observatory's year-round bird banding station. The field station operates on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. We are looking for volunteers with previous mist-net extraction experience to join our team of long-term volunteers and help patrol the net lanes for predators (mostly foxes, cats and occasionally raptors) and extract birds from mist-nets. You will also be responsible for transporting birds back to the banding trailer and helping record data as needed. Banding operations begin 45 minutes prior to local sunrise (San Jose), and end 6 hours later. Individuals able to volunteer for an extended period of time (three or more years) will be offered training opportunitieis to progress to Bander position after the minimum time commitment has been fulfilled.

Experience Required: All applicants, regardless of previous experience, will perform the duties of a Predator Patroller for an introductory period (may be up to the full six months required under the Predator Patroller description), until the CCFS Manager or a qualified trainer is able to perform a field evaluation of the applicant's skills and experience. In order to qualify for the field evaluation and expedited Extractor training, applicants must have previous mist-net extraction experience. Previous experience with western Passerines is a plus.

Other Qualifications: Ability to work well during early mornings and in a team environment, stand for several hours and walk on uneven trails. Must be able 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: Volunteers will serve the duties of a Predator Patroller while their skills are being evaluated.
Time Commitment: Eighteen months (one and one-half years), two days per month

Description: The Coyote Creek Field Station is the Bird Observatory's year-round bird banding station. The field station is in operates on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. We are looking for experienced bird banders to join our team of long-term volunteers. You must have experience ageing and sexing passerines, extracting birds from mist nests, operating a banding station, and recording data. Banding operations begin 45 minutes prior to local sunrise (San Jose), and end 6 hours later. Individuals able to volunteer for an extended period of time (five or more years) will be offered training opportunities to progress to a Trainer-level position, which would involve training fellow volunteers in Patrolling, Extracting, and Banding.

Experience Required: All applicants, regardless of previous experience, will perform the duties of a Predator Patroller for an introductory period (may be up to the full six months required under the Predator Patroller description), until the CCFS Manager or a qualified trainer is able to perform a field evaluation of the applicant's skills and experience. Applicants will be evaluated and trained for the Extractor position before being trained for the Bander position. In order to qualify for the field evaluation and expedited Bander training, applicants must have previous extraction and banding experienec, including familiarity with the Pyle Guide, and must be able to identify western Passerines. NABC bander-certified applicants are highly desirable.

Other Qualifications: Ability to work well during early mornings and in a team environment. Ability to stand for several hours and walk on uneven trails. Ability to identify local predators, including differentiating between Red and Gray Fox. Ability to interact with the public a plus.

Accepting inquiries until filled; please put "Coyote Creek Field Station Bird Bander" in the subject heading. Email a resume detailing your banding experience and contact information and include two professional references. Email to 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 staff, with the help of volunteers, monitors Alviso, Mallard (Artesian) and Guadalupe Sloughs for the cities of San Jose and Sunnyvale. Surveys occur 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. Volunteers will only survey with SFBBO staff members.

Experience Required: No previous experience required, however, experience handling waterbirds is preferred.

Other Qualifications: Volunteers must not be afraid to get muddy and/or wet! They must also 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 colonies around the Bay Area. These numbers add to a database that extends for 30 years, allowing us to document population trends. We also monitor the timing of nesting and evidence of disturbance and predation.

Experience Required: Previous experience identifying the given species is 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: 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!

Colonies are assigned to volunteers in Jan-Feb of each year. We do accept year-round inquiries, however you may be placed on a wait list until January; 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 non-breeding season and weekly during the breeding season. Volunteers choose their own survey dates within the given time period. Each survey lasts 4+ hours.

Description: Since 1983, the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory has banded more than 11,000 California Gulls in the South Bay. Recently, the largest colony of nesting California Gulls (Pond A6 with over 23,000 gulls) was restored to tidal action as part of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. SFBBO is tracking where these displaced gulls move and their impacts other ground-nesting waterbirds in the South Bay. Banding and re-sighting gulls from this colony helps determine their post-restoration movements.

In 2008 through 2010, we banded gulls with field-readable bands. These are large black bands with three white numbers or yellow bands with 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.

Outreach & Fundraising

Bird Observatory Archivist and Librarian
Time Commitment: Once a month or more frequently; 2 - 3 hrs each time.
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 Stephanie Ellis at sellis@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 Stephanie Ellis at sellis@sfbbo.org.

Prize 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: Prize Procurement Volunteers perform all aspects of obtaining the in-kind donations that will be awarded as prizes at the SFBBO Annual Meeting event in October. Prizes will include things like bird-related art, crafts, books, trips, and equipment, and will be awarded for the Annual Meeting Raffle Event, and to CFC Fundraising Competition winners, Mewaldt Cup winners, Trip Leader prizes and thank you gifts, and other volunteer thank you gifts. Prize Procurement volunteers work with SFBBO staff to ensure that all prize procurement activities are conducted professionally and on a timely basis.

Accepting inquiries; contact Stephanie Ellis at sellis@sfbbo.org.

Looking for other ways to volunteer for the California Fall Challenge? Contact Stephanie Ellis at at sellis@sfbbo.org for more information.