The Santa Ana Watershed Association (SAWA) is now hiring seasonal, part-time field assistants to help manage Brown-headed Cowbird traps in the local area. Brown-headed Cowbirds are trapped during the spring and summer because they are brood parasites, meaning that they do not build their own nests but lay their eggs in the nests of other species. In doing so, the cowbirds interfere with the reproductive success of our native birds. SAWA is especially interested in improving the nesting success of the Least Bell’s Vireo, an endangered bird in southern California. Trapping cowbirds out of the habitat during the breeding season is helping the vireo population numbers increase, as well as that of other native songbirds.

Assistants are assigned a route of 5-10 traps and visit each trap on the route on their assigned work days. Routes usually take 3-4 hours per afternoon. Assistants will work closely with the area biologist and learn about the vireo and cowbirds and the area’s natural resources. This work is ideal for anyone interested in getting field experience with our native birds.

Please see the attached job announcement for the full job description.