Volunteer position and Master thesis at the Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology (Germany)

(1) Practical training at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology,
hand-raising of ravens (Corvus corax)

We are looking for enthusiastic people who help to hand raise ravens
(Corvus corax) from 15.04. - 15.06.2013 and 05.06. - 05.08.2013 at the Max
Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.

We seek highly motivated, organized and reliable individuals who are
interested in corvid behaviour and their development, like to interact with birds and are
able to monitor their behavior.

We offer free accommodation at our guesthouse for the whole period and the
opportunity to work at one of Europe's leading institutes for bird
research.

For further information please contact:

Dr. Simone Pika
Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithologie
Humboldt Research Group ³Comparative Gestural Signalling²
Eberhard-Gwinner-Str.
Geesehouse
82319 Seewiesen, Germany
E-mail: spika@orn.mpg.de
Webpage: www.orn.mpg.de/cgs

(2) Master thesis: Social bonding and communicative success in ravens
(Corvus corax)

We are looking for an enthusiastic student who is interested in
investigating whether strength of pair bond influences the success of
communicative interactions in ravens (Corvus corax). Ravens communicate by
using vocal and gestural signals, however their influence and usage has
never been investigated in raven pairs in much detail.
The present study aims to fill this gap by observing the behavior and
communicative exchanges of 8 adult raven couples in different zoological
gardens in Germany and Austria. The starting date is negotiable, a car and
driver's license crucial.

We seek a highly motivated person with organizational skills, able and
willing to work independently. You will learn to set up the observation
schedule, film the behavior and communicative exchanges, design and
develop a coding scheme and analyze the behavioral interactions.

We offer the opportunity to work at one of the leading institutes for bird
research in Germany and Europe and to learn methods in comparative
research and behavioral biology.


For further information please contact:
Dr. Simone Pika
Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithologie
Humboldt Research Group ³Comparative Gestural Signalling²
Eberhard-Gwinner-Str.
Geesehouse
82319 Seewiesen, Germany
E-mail: spika@orn.mpg.de
Webpage: www.orn.mpg.de/cgs