MARIANA CROW REHABILITATION TECHNICIAN – 1 person needed for 5+ months to assist in the rehabilitation and daily care of critically endangered Mariana Crows on the island of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. Duties include regular feeding of birds and cleaning and maintenance of outdoor aviaries. The technician may be responsible for providing basic medical care for current captive crows and any new crows that arrive at the facility in need of first aid attention. A working knowledge of wildlife rehabilitation for birds is a must. There will be opportunities to participate in nest searching and radio telemetry of wild Mariana Crows as well. Requirements: At least one year working with birds (preferably corvids) in rehabilitation situations. Strong interest in the conservation of endangered species. Demonstrated ability to provide exceptional care for rehabilitating birds without direct supervision. A willingness to work nights, sourcing native insects and reptiles for feeding the captive crows.An interest and aptitude for carpentry work (for the maintenance of current aviaries and construction of new aviaries) is desired. Experience monitoring the soft release of rehabilitated or captive raised birds is desirable. The island of Rota is very small and offers few amenities. Experience working in remote locations is preferred. Benefits include round trip airfare to Rota (reimbursed), housing and $1200-1500/month (un-taxed) depending on experience and length of stay. A minimum commitment of 5 months is required and longer commitments (7+ months) are strongly preferred. Send CV and three references to PHIL HANNON via email (EM: philliphannon13 AT yahoo.com). Deadline for applications: July 9th. Applications will be reviewed as submitted. Start date: Early August. For more information visit: http://depts.washington.edu/rabep/index.html In perhaps the avian photobomb of the decade and what is perhaps the first time a video was running when someone documented a brand spanking new US record, Matt Daws got a wood rail while trying to video a least bittern:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oem2RCUtDTs

Jeff Gordon interviews our young record bird finder here (he's a handsome fella).

The initial response to the the rufous-necked wood rail: