Wildlife Research and Conservation Society

About the Project
Ujani Dam is located on Bhima River on the border of Solapur, Ahmednagar and Pune districts of Maharashtra. Ujani backwater has created one of the largest wetlands in Asia and a winter home for a large number of migratory birds. Raptors such as the Greater Spotted Eagle, Kestrel and Harriers and water birds such as Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Pintail, Shoveler, Wigeon, Bar-headed Goose, Pratincoles, Demoiselle Crane, Swallows, Gulls, Terns, Wagtails, Osprey, Greater and Lesser Flamingo, several species of sandpipers, Bar-headed Geese, Black-tailed Godwit, Rosy Starling can be seen here in large numbers.
Our project will assess the biodiversity of Ujani Wetland with special focus on the avifauna. The project will add to the existing knowledge on birds and aquatic biota of Ujani wetland including important habitats in the reservoir and migratory pattern of birds. We will engage with the several stakeholders including Forest Department, Irrigation Department, academic institutes, local villagers, tour operators, bird watchers, NGOs and citizens. The duration of the project is for 2 years. We urge the applicants to read the eligibility requirements carefully before applying.

​

Eligibility for the position
• M.Sc. in Wildlife Science/Ecology/similar subjects
• Excellent birdwatching and bird identification skills, especially of wetland birds and raptors
• Earlier experience of working on field ecology and on wetland birds
• Experience in scientific writing and preparing technical reports. Basic information on statistical analysis,
GIS, camera-trapping, and other bird study methods will be an added advantage.
• Excellent command over spoken and written English
• Fluency in spoken Marathi and Hindi to communicate with field staff and local communities will be an
advantage
• Young and physically fit to work in the field for long hours
• Ability to drive a motorcycle on village roads with a permanent driving license. 4-wheeler driving
license will be an advantage.
• Willing to walk up to 10 km in rugged terrain
• Willing to stay in basic field accommodation
• This is a field-oriented project and will require the researcher to spend maximum time in the outdoors. Candidate should be willing to rough it out in the field and stay in field camps if required.

• This is a full-time appointment. Only those who can commit to work for the entire duration of
the project should apply.
• We want to work with honest, dedicated person with a pleasant personality, a sense of
adventure, responsibility, humor, humility and a great team spirit.

​

Remuneration
Remuneration will be commensurate with the experience and qualifications of the applicant

How to apply
Applicants interested in applying should send an introductory email of one paragraph and attach the following documents:
i. A one-page note describing why you are applying for this project,
ii. Recent resume with details of past and current work. Please share pdfs of your research publications if
any.
iii. Contact details (name, email and phone number) of three referees from ecology field.
Incomplete application without any of the above information will not be processed further.
Please send the email to mail@wrcsindia.org with subject line “Application for the Ujani Wetland Project” at the earliest.