Volunteer Opportunities

Additional volunteer opportunities can be found on our volunteer page at www.sfbbo.org/volunteer/index.php.

Coyote Creek Field Station
The Coyote Creek Field Station, the Bird Observatory's year-round bird banding station, needs help entering banding data. Data entry is one of the most important parts of data collection, and allows Bird Observatory biologists to put conservation into action by preparing reports, manuscripts, and presentations. Some of this work may be completed at home, but we ask that volunteers spend the first few volunteer days in the office entering data. A commitment of just a few hours a month will make a big contribution. If you are interested, contact Josh Scullen at jscullen@sfbbo.org.

Colonial Waterbird Monitor
Since 1981, the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory has monitored colonies of nesting herons, egrets, terns, and gulls throughout the South Bay. This is a very rewarding volunteer experience and a chance to observe birds throughout the breeding season, from nest building and egg laying to chick-hatching and fledging! Each volunteer is assigned a colony, and surveys occur once a month and fall within a three-day window around a weekend. Survey time varies by site, and may take up to half a day. Previous experience identifying the given species is preferred but not required. Please email Caitlin Robinson-Nilsen (cnilsen@sfbbo.org) if you’re interested in joining us this upcoming breeding season.

---

Upcoming Events

Saturday. February 6, 8:30 am– 10:30 am
RSVP
A BIRD IN THE HAND
SITE: COYOTE CREEK FIELD STATION (MILPITAS)
Tour the Bird Observatory's banding station and meet the new Coyote Creek Field Station Manager, Josh Scullen. Learn about the Bird Observatory’s bird banding research and see several different species up in the hand. We will tour mist nets, watch a bird banding demonstration, and explore a restored riparian habitat. Please join us and learn why bird banding is so important for protecting birds and their habitats. RSVP required. We will meet at the Borders bookstore parking lot in McCarthy Ranch, Milpitas. In the event of rain, the tour is cancelled.

WORKSHOPS WITH ALVARO JARAMILLO
These workshops incorporate ecology, evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, and natural history to complement bird identification. We are currently offering two workshops – sign up now as these workshops fill quickly!

RSVP
GULLS
Tuesday, Feb 23rd & Thursday, Feb 25th (instruction), 6:30–9:00 pm
Sunday, Feb 28th (fieldtrip), TBA
Gulls have a fanatical fan base in the birding world, but for most of us they are trouble and perhaps even strike fear as their identification can be complex. Through this course, we aim to prepare you to understand the general concepts of gull identification and build confidence to go out there and give the local gulls a name (and age). We live in a gull-rich part of the world, this course will help you to fully appreciate the gull heaven in which we live. Apart from identification we will touch on topics such as gulls and people (i.e., landfills), gulls and bird conservation, as well as their behavior, distribution and migration.

RSVP
DIURNAL RAPTORS
Tuesday, March 9th & Friday, March 12th (instruction), 6:30–9:00 pm
Sunday, March 14th (fieldtrip), TBA
There is no doubt that if you were to pick the birds with the most intense fans, it is the hawks, eagles and falcons: the diurnal raptors. You may remember the Gary Larson cartoon with hawks sitting on tree, wearing shades and it read “Hawks know they’re cool.” Well, we agree, and we have designed this workshop to both teach you how to identify the raptors, as well as to understand more about their behavior and biology. The close relationship that raptors have to prey, and therefore to habitat will be explored, in addition to their migration and population booms and busts. The Bay Area is rather diverse for raptors, particularly in winter, and this workshop aims to give a richer appreciation for these amazing hunters which share our home with us.