Seasonal Hawk Counter

Position Summary:

The Greenwich Audubon Center is a nature center and wildlife sanctuary owned and operated by the National Audubon Society. The nature center is located in the southwest corner of Connecticut, in the town of Greenwich. The mission of the National Audubon Society is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of the Earth's biological diversity and humanity. The Greenwich Audubon Center strives to meet this mission through education, conservation, and environmental research to encourage the responsible usage and stewardship of natural lands. In addition to its 300-acres of habitat-managed hiking trails, the Center offers educational programs for all ages, a children's learning center and a bird viewing area.

Under the supervision of center staff, the Official Hawk Counter will play an integral part in the Quaker Ridge Hawk Watch program located on the grounds of the Greenwich Audubon Center in Greenwich, CT. Quaker Ridge is one of the premier hawk watch sites in the Northeast, with an average of over 14,000 hawks recorded each season and 50 years of data on hawk migration. All data from Quaker Ridge is submitted to the Hawk Migration Association of North America as part of the hemispheric network of over 200 Hawk Migration monitoring locations.

This role is on-site at the Greenwich Audubon Center in Greenwich, CT. Onsite housing can be provided.

Compensation:

$19.00 - $21.00 / hour

Essential Functions:

• The Seasonal Hawk Counter will work alongside Greenwich Audubon naturalists and Volunteer Hawk Watchers involved in raptor conservation to:

  • Identify and count the 15 species of hawks, eagles, falcons, and vultures that migrate along the Atlantic Flyway in flight.

  • Record and manage field data of migrating raptors on online data collection platforms (TrekTellen / Hawkcount.org).

  • Conduct outreach to visitors and volunteer hawk watchers to involve the community in raptor conservation efforts.

  • Coordinate volunteer schedules of weekend hawk counters and work with volunteers to conduct daily counts.

  • Assist with public programs on hawk migration including assistance with annual Hawk Watch Festival (Saturday September 27 2025).

  • Record hourly weather conditions, species, and numbers of migrating raptors in the field using TrekTellen data entry platform via Smartphone or iPad.

  • At the end of each count day, enter count data to Hawkcount.org.

  • Prepare and deliver a public program & slide show on the results of the season at the season's end.

  • Other duties associated with the Hawk Watch and hawk watching, as needed.

• The Seasonal Hawk Counter is expected to conduct hawk watching duties five days a week, 9 am to 5 pm from August 20th to November 30th (start date flexible). They will also be responsible for coordinating volunteers to staff the hawk watch on weekend days. Some work schedule flexibility is required due to weather condition-related changes in anticipated migration activity.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Previous seasonal work as a hawk counter at a hawk migration monitoring site and/or experience in identifying Northeastern raptors in flight at a distance is greatly preferred.

• Must personally own a pair of binoculars, spotting scope and smartphone for bird observation and data collection.

• Interest in bird monitoring and outdoor research work.

• Familiarity with computer data spreadsheet analysis and Microsoft PowerPoint.

• Self-motivated individual who can work well independently in the field.

• Ability to work primarily outside in various weather situations.

• Ability to work some early mornings, late evenings, and some weekend days.

• Good organizational skills.

• Ability to communicate to a variety of audiences: visitors, volunteers, staff, the general public, and others.

EEO Statement

The National Audubon Society is a federal contractor and an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. We are committed to a policy of nondiscrimination, inclusion and equal opportunity and actively seek a diverse pool of candidates in this search.

Accessibility Statement

The National Audubon Society endeavors to keep our careers site accessible to any and all users.  If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Accommodations@audubon.org. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

Salary : $19 - $21