Ornithologyexchange
Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk-Propagation Assistant (seasonal grantee)
Ornithologyexchange, De Pere, Wisconsin, United States
Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk-Propagation Assistant (seasonal grantee)
Posted by Guest HanaWeaver, October 21 Employer: The Peregrine Fund Country: United States Last Date to Apply: 10/31/2025 Propagation Assistant - Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk REPORTS TO BASED AT (OFFICE LOCATION) REGULAR/TEMPORARY: Temporary (Seasonal, 8 months) January - August, 2026 COMPENSATION: $2,000/month The Peregrine Fund has worked to conserve birds of prey for over 50 years. Addressing threats such as pollution, deforestation, and human‑wildlife conflict is key to supporting the world’s 561 species of raptors. As top predators, raptors serve as indicators of ecosystem health while providing essential services like rodent control and disease prevention through carrion removal. The Peregrine Fund relies on science to assess extinction risk and causes of decline to allocate resources effectively while engaging local communities in comprehensive, collaborative conservation solutions unique and innovative to each region. Key achievements include removing the Peregrine Falcon from the U.S. Endangered Species List, helping restore the Mauritius Kestrel population from just four wild birds, and identifying and addressing the drivers of the Asian Vulture Crisis. Current projects span dozens of countries, including community‑based conservation in Madagascar, doubling the known Ridgway’s Hawk population on Hispaniola, and managing California Condor recovery efforts in the American West. The Peregrine Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We ensure all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. POSITION SUMMARY
The Peregrine Fund is seeking a seasonal Propagation Assistant dedicated to the research and restoration of the endangered Puerto Rican Sharp‑shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus venator, PRSSH). This position will focus on assisting supervisors in all aspects of raptor propagation (aviculture), including artificial incubation, hatching, hand‑rearing and releasing young hawks back into the wild via hacking. When those activities are not occurring, the candidate will be assisting the team in field biologists tasks of nest searching, pair monitoring and daily surveys. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The Propagation Assistant will work alongside the field team and assist with all aspects of the recovery program (January‑August) but focus primarily on propagation efforts during the months of March‑June. They will primarily assist supervisors with all aspects of raptor propagation while carrying out and maintaining the highest standards of raptor health and welfare. Under the direction/guidance of experienced supervisors, they will gain experience and basic training in all raptor propagation activities including egg handling, transportation, artificial incubation, hatching, and rearing of nestling hawks. They may assist and conduct daily duties and facility maintenance, record and enter egg and nestling data, and assist with other responsibilities as necessary. The assistant will help in daily hawk food preparations, cleaning of enclosures, incubators, hatchers and facilities. The candidate must be comfortable handling and preparing hawk food which includes raw, fresh and frozen whole bodied quail and wild trapped invasive cowbirds. RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
January-March (Propagation Preparations, Hack Site Setup and Field Surveys)
Assist in all preparations and setup of new propagation facility Monitor active nesting pairs if needed General upkeep and maintenance of propagation equipment Assist in equipment/tools maintenance and cleaning Assist in the building/construction of hack site Assist in the maintenance of hack site housing Maintain and care of housing Monitor and maintain backup generators and solar power systems Weekly disinfection of all labs and high traffic areas following safe handling instructions for chemical use Survey, search and record sightings of hawks within and around the four state forests and one national forest during the early morning hours Use hand‑held GPS units with topography maps to navigate trail in the forest Open and clear trails to known nest sites using machetes Locate nests of territorial displaying hawks by searching for nests, listening for vocalizations or other behaviors associated with nesting activities April-June (Egg collection, Hatching, Rearing and Hack Site)
Assist team in safe collection of eggs from wild nests and transport from the field to the propagation facility (as needed) Assist in round‑the‑clock incubator temperature and humidity monitoring Assist supervisors in duties associated with artificial incubation of raptor eggs Assist supervisors, observe and document hatching and rearing process of hawks Monitor and document chick health, development, and behavior Prepare food and assist in feeding nestling raptors Assist in clean‑up and tidiness of propagation facility Assist in medical procedures for raptors if needed Assist with banding and tagging protocols for raptors Assist transportation of raptors to and from various captive and field sites as needed Regular off‑site trapping and euthanasia of wild food supplies (invasive shiny cowbirds) Prepare hack site for releases Move to hack site, along with the nestling hawks in preparation for releases June-August (Hack site, wild nest monitoring, banding and tagging)
Assist in all aspects of hacking (release) activities (early morning hawk food preparations and food placement, close monitoring of released hawks (5am‑dark, daily), predator patrols, tracking released hawks as needed, nightly hack tower cleaning, etc.) Monitor wild nesting pairs as needed Assist in banding of wild nestlings as needed Assist in trapping and tagging of post‑fledge juveniles (hack site and wild territories) Assist in public awareness campaign in local communities and conservation of the hawk and biodiversity End of season shutdown maintenance and cleaning Qualifications
A valid driver’s license is required Previous field experience with avian species – it is very important to be familiar with raptor behavior Conversational Spanish Previous experience working with or rearing young avian species Avian rehabilitation or veterinarian experience Basic carpentry skills Able to effectively communicate with volunteers, co‑workers and supervisors Compensation: Monthly $2,000 paid directly by ACH at the beginning of the month, subject to receiving 1099‑NEC. Housing: Will be provided at no cost. All Propagation staff will live and work in the Propagation House/Facility while eggs and nestlings are in care. Propagation Facility Housing (available throughout field season): Furnished house with kitchen, small private bedrooms, wifi, and laundry in Coamo, PR. Hack Site Housing (May-August): Rustic cabins with shared rooms at the Adjuntas hack site. Fresh running water and electricity are not guaranteed at all times, candidates must be willing and able to live a “camping” lifestyle. Transportation: Airfare to and from the island will be provided (if needed), along with use of shared field vehicles. Mileage will be reimbursed to individuals that use their personal vehicle for project duties. To Apply
Resume/cv (two pages maximum) with three references A one page cover letter highlighting your field experience Name the file as LastName_FirstName_Propagation Assistant_PRSSH Submit electronically (email) by October 31, 2025
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Posted by Guest HanaWeaver, October 21 Employer: The Peregrine Fund Country: United States Last Date to Apply: 10/31/2025 Propagation Assistant - Puerto Rican Sharp-shinned Hawk REPORTS TO BASED AT (OFFICE LOCATION) REGULAR/TEMPORARY: Temporary (Seasonal, 8 months) January - August, 2026 COMPENSATION: $2,000/month The Peregrine Fund has worked to conserve birds of prey for over 50 years. Addressing threats such as pollution, deforestation, and human‑wildlife conflict is key to supporting the world’s 561 species of raptors. As top predators, raptors serve as indicators of ecosystem health while providing essential services like rodent control and disease prevention through carrion removal. The Peregrine Fund relies on science to assess extinction risk and causes of decline to allocate resources effectively while engaging local communities in comprehensive, collaborative conservation solutions unique and innovative to each region. Key achievements include removing the Peregrine Falcon from the U.S. Endangered Species List, helping restore the Mauritius Kestrel population from just four wild birds, and identifying and addressing the drivers of the Asian Vulture Crisis. Current projects span dozens of countries, including community‑based conservation in Madagascar, doubling the known Ridgway’s Hawk population on Hispaniola, and managing California Condor recovery efforts in the American West. The Peregrine Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We ensure all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. POSITION SUMMARY
The Peregrine Fund is seeking a seasonal Propagation Assistant dedicated to the research and restoration of the endangered Puerto Rican Sharp‑shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus venator, PRSSH). This position will focus on assisting supervisors in all aspects of raptor propagation (aviculture), including artificial incubation, hatching, hand‑rearing and releasing young hawks back into the wild via hacking. When those activities are not occurring, the candidate will be assisting the team in field biologists tasks of nest searching, pair monitoring and daily surveys. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The Propagation Assistant will work alongside the field team and assist with all aspects of the recovery program (January‑August) but focus primarily on propagation efforts during the months of March‑June. They will primarily assist supervisors with all aspects of raptor propagation while carrying out and maintaining the highest standards of raptor health and welfare. Under the direction/guidance of experienced supervisors, they will gain experience and basic training in all raptor propagation activities including egg handling, transportation, artificial incubation, hatching, and rearing of nestling hawks. They may assist and conduct daily duties and facility maintenance, record and enter egg and nestling data, and assist with other responsibilities as necessary. The assistant will help in daily hawk food preparations, cleaning of enclosures, incubators, hatchers and facilities. The candidate must be comfortable handling and preparing hawk food which includes raw, fresh and frozen whole bodied quail and wild trapped invasive cowbirds. RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
January-March (Propagation Preparations, Hack Site Setup and Field Surveys)
Assist in all preparations and setup of new propagation facility Monitor active nesting pairs if needed General upkeep and maintenance of propagation equipment Assist in equipment/tools maintenance and cleaning Assist in the building/construction of hack site Assist in the maintenance of hack site housing Maintain and care of housing Monitor and maintain backup generators and solar power systems Weekly disinfection of all labs and high traffic areas following safe handling instructions for chemical use Survey, search and record sightings of hawks within and around the four state forests and one national forest during the early morning hours Use hand‑held GPS units with topography maps to navigate trail in the forest Open and clear trails to known nest sites using machetes Locate nests of territorial displaying hawks by searching for nests, listening for vocalizations or other behaviors associated with nesting activities April-June (Egg collection, Hatching, Rearing and Hack Site)
Assist team in safe collection of eggs from wild nests and transport from the field to the propagation facility (as needed) Assist in round‑the‑clock incubator temperature and humidity monitoring Assist supervisors in duties associated with artificial incubation of raptor eggs Assist supervisors, observe and document hatching and rearing process of hawks Monitor and document chick health, development, and behavior Prepare food and assist in feeding nestling raptors Assist in clean‑up and tidiness of propagation facility Assist in medical procedures for raptors if needed Assist with banding and tagging protocols for raptors Assist transportation of raptors to and from various captive and field sites as needed Regular off‑site trapping and euthanasia of wild food supplies (invasive shiny cowbirds) Prepare hack site for releases Move to hack site, along with the nestling hawks in preparation for releases June-August (Hack site, wild nest monitoring, banding and tagging)
Assist in all aspects of hacking (release) activities (early morning hawk food preparations and food placement, close monitoring of released hawks (5am‑dark, daily), predator patrols, tracking released hawks as needed, nightly hack tower cleaning, etc.) Monitor wild nesting pairs as needed Assist in banding of wild nestlings as needed Assist in trapping and tagging of post‑fledge juveniles (hack site and wild territories) Assist in public awareness campaign in local communities and conservation of the hawk and biodiversity End of season shutdown maintenance and cleaning Qualifications
A valid driver’s license is required Previous field experience with avian species – it is very important to be familiar with raptor behavior Conversational Spanish Previous experience working with or rearing young avian species Avian rehabilitation or veterinarian experience Basic carpentry skills Able to effectively communicate with volunteers, co‑workers and supervisors Compensation: Monthly $2,000 paid directly by ACH at the beginning of the month, subject to receiving 1099‑NEC. Housing: Will be provided at no cost. All Propagation staff will live and work in the Propagation House/Facility while eggs and nestlings are in care. Propagation Facility Housing (available throughout field season): Furnished house with kitchen, small private bedrooms, wifi, and laundry in Coamo, PR. Hack Site Housing (May-August): Rustic cabins with shared rooms at the Adjuntas hack site. Fresh running water and electricity are not guaranteed at all times, candidates must be willing and able to live a “camping” lifestyle. Transportation: Airfare to and from the island will be provided (if needed), along with use of shared field vehicles. Mileage will be reimbursed to individuals that use their personal vehicle for project duties. To Apply
Resume/cv (two pages maximum) with three references A one page cover letter highlighting your field experience Name the file as LastName_FirstName_Propagation Assistant_PRSSH Submit electronically (email) by October 31, 2025
#J-18808-Ljbffr