The Santa Ana Watershed Association (SAWA) is now hiring seasonal, part-time field assistants to help manage Brown-headed Cowbird traps within areas of Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange Counties. Brown-headed Cowbirds are brood parasites, meaning they do not build their own nests and lay their eggs in the nests of other species. In doing so, cowbirds can have an adverse effect on the reproductive success of native bird species. SAWA is especially interested in improving the nesting success of the Least Bell’s Vireo, a Federal and State endangered bird that breeds in southern California. Trapping cowbirds during the breeding season is not only helping the Least Bell’s Vireo population numbers increase, but most likely those of other native songbirds.

JOB DUTIES/RESPOBNSIBILITIES

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 learn about vireos, cowbirds, and other avian species and natural resources in the area.