Bird Banding Internship
Klamath Bird Observatory is seeking highly motivated individuals to participate in our long-term landbird monitoring program. This position requires independent drive and patience for the travails of fieldwork but also affords an amazing opportunity to build practical experience in field biology and master a variety of bird monitoring and research skills in a beautiful part of the country.
Our bander training program blends an intensive field internship with coursework designed in accordance with North American Banding Council (NABC) standards to prepare participants for successful careers as field ornithologists. Training and duties will include mist-netting and banding of passerines and near passerines; bird surveying; data quality-assurance, entry, and management; and participation in public outreach and education. Non-field duties include study and discussion of banding curriculum, equipment maintenance, field station upkeep, and data entry. Accommodation is provided in shared rooms in a rustic cabin on the Upper Klamath Lake which has potable running water, a full kitchen, internet access, a wood stove, and electric space heaters, and an external bathhouse. Hiking and birding opportunities abound nearby with access to bikes and kayaks. Weekly visits to remote sites will require multi-night camping trips and brief strenuous hiking carrying heavy banding equipment.
QUALIFICATIONS: Successful candidates will demonstrate a strong interest in birds and field biology, possess a positive attitude during long days and occasionally adverse conditions (heat, cold, mosquitoes, smoke), work cooperatively and constructively toward project objectives, give priority to safety considerations, make common-sense decisions about wildlife (bear, cougar), and be able to work and live harmoniously in close company with coworkers. To preserve the quality and consistency of our long-term dataset, interns must also be able to precisely follow protocols and take meticulous care in collecting and recording data. Excellent communication skills are critical. Interns are required to possess a valid Driver’s License and clean driving record to use provided field vehicles for project-related travel. Preferred qualifications include outdoor skills, sight and sound bird identification skills, bird handling, and banding experience. This position requires early mornings (pre-dawn), weekends, and the ability to follow a work schedule that is dependent on the changing weather and unpredictable field conditions. Interns must be willing and able to adhere to strict health and safety guidelines for banding safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective June 21, 2021, KBO will require that all Employees and Interns be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and be able to provide proof of vaccination status.
STIPEND: $750 Monthly plus accommodations.
Durations: May 1st – October 31st
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Ongoing until the position has been filled. Offers are contingent on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent health and safety mandates throughout the field season.
TO APPLY: Send cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references in a single PDF document to Bird Banding Research Biologist, Claire Stuyck (cms@klamathbird.org).
conservation, and education programs in the Klamath Basin. Through her vision, Patty seeded what has now grown into decades of partnerships with federal agencies, NGOs, businesses, community members, and political representatives in the Klamath Basin. To read more about Patty 
Each year, KBO offers a Conservation Stamp Set for purchase with proceeds supporting both national and regional conservation efforts. The two-stamp set includes:
Klamath Bird Observatory’s 2021-2022 conservation science stamp features our partner Avian Knowledge Network (AKN). The AKN’s mission is to support a network of people, data, and technology to improve bird conservation, management, and research across organizational boundaries and spatial scales. We envision a world where bird populations thrive through conservation and management informed by a network of avian knowledge. AKN does this by providing science-based information about bird populations and habitats to inform natural resource management planning and to advance ecosystem conservation. To learn more about the AKN visit 
Keeley brings a lifelong interest in problem-solving, community service, and the natural world to his work on the Klamath Bird Observatory board. He began his career as a consulting chemical engineer, then earned an MBA in Finance and moved into the financial industry. He spent much of his career lending and investing in the development of affordable housing nationwide.
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION, OUTREACH, AND COMMUNITY CONSERVATION MANAGER Elva joined KBO in December 2021. She works closely with the KBO team to communicate their work across social media platforms, websites, and news outlets. She leads outreach projects involving the local and international community with bird conservation. 
LEAD BANDER – Martin started as an intern in KBO’s banding program in 2017. Now he trains the next generation of bird banders and manages five banding stations in the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion. Martin studied Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Guadalajara (Jalisco, Mexico). He started his journey interested in agriculture and ecology and biology became his profession and passion. Martin has been a hummingbird and passerine bander since 2016 and is focused on bird and habitat conservation in western North America. He believes that teaching is an essential element of conservation.
Point Count Project Lead – Tom McLaren joined KBO in October 2022 to support the Point-Count Program focused on the long-term monitoring of bird populations.