Bird Care Specialist & Enrichment Coordinator

Detroit Zoo; Royal Oak (MI); On-site; USD 40,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Short and long term disability

Life insurance

Flexible spending

Employee assistance program

Paid time off

Referral and retention bonuses

Zoo membership and guest tickets

In-park merchandise discounts

Event discounts

Job summary

The Bird Department Zookeeper at the Detroit Zoo provides care, feeding, enrichment and training for birds, ensuring their well-being and delivering outstanding guest experiences by maintaining bird exhibits.

Responsibilities include daily bird care, exhibit maintenance, safety inspections, and documenting animal conditions. The role also involves training staff and interns, and contributing to enrichment and educational programs for visitors.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in zoology or a closely related discipline and two years' experience in the care and management of birds.
• OR: An associate degree in a related discipline and four years experiences in the care of captive wildlife, two of which include the care and management of birds.
• Ability to work with animals and to remain calm in strenuous circumstances.
• Excellent problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to follow instructions.

Responsibilities

• Provide daily care, including feeding, enrichment, and operant conditioning training for birds.
• Perform routine exhibit maintenance including mowing, trimming, and other routine maintenance activities.
• Observe and document physical condition and behavior of animals.
• Inspect facilities to ensure safety and security.
• Capture and restrain animals as needed.
• Clean animal enclosures and other exhibit areas.
• Assist with artificial incubation and hand-rearing.
• Monitor animal social conditions and situations.
• Monitor feather-clipping schedules and make recommendations to supervisor when clipping is needed.
• Develop and submit enrichment practices to Behavioral Husbandry Team.
• Design, construct, and provide enrichment devices to animals.
• Provide medical treatments as prescribed by the veterinarians.
• Communicate needs for maintenance department work requests to lead keeper or supervisor.
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
• Maintain records, inventories and other information and provide written and verbal reports as required.
• Conduct educational presentations in both formal and informal settings.
• Train new staff as required.
• Train and supervise interns.
• Perform other duties as required.

Skills

Bird care

Animal handling

Observation skills

Communication

Problem solving

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in zoology

Associate degree in related discipline with 4 years in care of captive wildlife

Job description

The Bird Department Zookeeper at the Detroit Zoo provides care, feeding, enrichment and training for birds, ensuring their well-being and delivering outstanding guest experiences by maintaining bird exhibits.

Responsibilities include daily bird care, exhibit maintenance, safety inspections, and documenting animal conditions. The role also involves training staff and interns, and contributing to enrichment and educational programs for visitors.