Bird Conservation Assistant, Palmyra Atoll

Located 1,000 miles south of Hawai'i, TNC's Palmyra Preserve is located in the middle of one of the most spectacular marine wilderness areas on Earth. Palmyra Atoll has 580 acres of emergent land with 480,000 acres of lagoons, coral reefs, and submerged lands and is a US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) National Wildlife Refuge out to 12 nautical miles from shore and a Marine National Monument out to 50 miles.

The Nature Conservancy owns and cares for 230 acres of land and manages this property in partnership with the USFWS. TNC maintains wildlife habitat and owns and operates a conservation research station on the preserve focused on ecosystem adaptation and resilience to climate change.

Bird Conservation Assistants have the exciting opportunity to participate in an innovative conservation program aimed at establishing the first wild population of Sihek (Guam kingfisher, Todiramphus cinnamominus) in 36 years. Each Bird Conservation Assistant will be on assignment for approximately 2.5 months and will be based at Palmyra Atoll, where Sihek were first released in September 2024. This job posting will be used to hire an Assistant for an assignment between late January to mid-April 2027.

The Bird Conservation Assistant will work closely in the field with a staff Bird Conservation Specialist but will be expected to work independently and autonomously on a regular basis. Training will be provided in core daily tasks, including bird population surveys, behavioral monitoring, and data entry. Depending on the current project activities, additional activities may include assisting with radio telemetry tracking, captive husbandry, health screenings, ecological surveys, aviary construction, and public outreach.

This position will be hosted by The Nature Conservancy in affiliation with the Zoological Society of London.

Accommodation and all meals are provided at a remote but well-equipped field station run by The Nature Conservancy. The Bird Conservation Assistant is expected to work 6 days per week during their time at Palmyra.

Alongside core tasks, all staff and volunteers contribute to community-based functions, including regular cleaning and station maintenance duties and occasional support on other conservation projects.

TNC will cover travel expenses from the Bird Conservation Assistant's home to Honolulu.

During the week prior to traveling to Palmyra, the Bird Conservation Assistant will participate in orientation trainings in Honolulu or virtually that give an overview of TNC's mission, values, and Code of Conduct, and of the Palmyra Program, including the Sihek Recovery Project.

TNC will also provide round-trip travel to Palmyra from Honolulu, board and lodging at Palmyra, and key supplies and equipment for the two-month term at Palmyra.

TNC also provides remote medical coverage for non‑emergency physician and emergency evacuation insurance for all staff and volunteers at Palmyra.

Want to help a species recover from the brink of extinction? Guided by science, TNC creates innovative, on‑the‑ground solutions to our world's toughest challenges so that people and nature can thrive together. To support this innovative conservation program, we're looking for someone who is passionate about avian conservation and research; motivated to learn, problem solve, and collaborate with others in remote fieldwork scenarios;

and familiar and experienced with Pacific Island culture and natural history. As a Bird Conservation Assistant at Palmyra Atoll, you will work closely with TNC's Palmyra Program team, and all our partners focused on the recovery of the charismatic Sihek, including team members with Zoological Society of London, Guam Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife…