Ringers and assistants wanted at Swedish bird observatory

The wetlands of Kvismaren are classical Swedish birding grounds that are receiving more attention now due to extensive restoration efforts. Kvismare Bird Observatory started ringing birds 1961, and since 1991 the trapping effort is standardised from July to September. For this season, we need qualified ringers and ringer’s assistants between June 25 and September 30.

Ringing is carried out at three different sites (reed beds and shrub lands). Mostly we catch breeding and migrating passerines. In addition to the actual ringing other duties are of course attached, such as clearing net paths, mending nets, entering ringing data into the computer program, conducting bird counts in the lakes etc.

The bird observatory is situated at 59.14 N / 15.24 E near Örebro, about 200 kilometres west of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. You live in a house located a couple of hundred metres from one of the lakes. Kvismaren is a nature reserve with lakes, reed beds and agricultural landscape. 279 bird species have been observed in the area. As a ringer you make SEK 650–850/week, depending on how long you stay (minimum two weeks). As ringer's assistants, you make SEK 450/week. (SEK 100 = Euro 10.34, 27 March 2010.) The trip fare is paid on your own expense, while the accommodation is free. Normally we cook together and the food then costs about SEK 40–45/day.
It is required that you speak English in order to work at Kvismare Bird Observatory.

Does this interest you? Please contact the staff manager via e-mail a.s.a.p.

If you are interested in working as ringer, include a detailed description of your previous experience of bird ringing (e.g. when did you start ringing; list the groups/observatories you have been ringing with; what kind of birds (passerines, non-passerines) have you mainly been working with; roughly how many birds have you ringed; what is your normal reference for ageing and sexing (e.g. Svensson 1992; Jenni & Winkler 1994; other); what biometric measurements are you confidently using (and what methods/scales are you using/referring to); what is your previous experience of using mistnets; do you hold any national ringer’s license, and if so, what kind, etc.). Include two references (for you as ringer) with e-mail address and phone number. To work as a ringer’s assistant you need no previous experience, but please let us know whether you have any previous experience of bird trapping/handling and use of mistnets. You can find some more information about Kvismare Bird Observatory on our website www.kvismaren.org
. If interested, we also have some additional information we could send you.

Best regards,

Martin Stervander, ringing manager, Kvismare Bird Observatory
staff_manager@kvismaren.org