Also called: Cowbird Trapper, Brood Parasite Control Technician
Traps brown-headed cowbirds, which lay eggs in other birds' nests, to protect endangered songbirds like the Kirtland's warbler and black-capped vireo.
Drives at sunrise to large wire traps in young jack-pine forests, checks the decoy birds have food and water, and removes the cowbirds caught overnight. You release any other birds unharmed and record every capture. All season you watch nests of rare warblers to see if your work is helping.
Estimate; seasonal spring-summer work, often hourly.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Often a bachelor's in wildlife biology, or a student in one; seasonal jobs train you on site.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Biology.
Growing about average. Small, steady seasonal programs in Michigan, Texas and California.
Low risk for 10 years. Cameras can watch traps, but handling birds, releasing non-targets and checking nests stays hands-on.
Classes: Biology, Environmental science, Statistics.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.