Florida scrub jay

(Aphelocoma coerulescens)

Description

Key identifiers for both male and female.  Males and females cannot be distinguished by their plumage.

• 10 to 12 inches (26 to 30 cm) in length
• No crest
• Blue head
• Gray throat with pale blue breast band
• Blue wings and nape
• Long blue tail
• Gray underparts (appears as streaking)
• Gray back
• Dark legs and bill

Note: Juvenile Florida scrub jays have gray feathers on their heads. When they reach about 6 months old, juveniles change into the adult plumage. At this time the gray feathers are replaced by blue feathers. 

Habitat

The Florida scrub jay is the only bird species found exclusively in Florida. It inhabits scrub oak habitats, which consist of scrubby flatwoods, sand pine scrub, rosemary scrub and coastal scrub. These are habitats with low-growing oaks, shrubs and in some cases scattered pines. Infrequent, high-intensity fires maintain this type of habitat. Fire frequency varies between 10 and 100 years, depending on the type of oak scrub habitat. If fire is completely excluded, the habitat will become overgrown and unsuitable for scrub jay use.

Location

Lyonia Preserve is a great place to see the Florida scrub jay.  It has 360 acres of scrub habitat with three hiking trails and is located at 2150 Eustace Ave., Deltona, Florida. 

Scrub Oak Preserve is another place to see them.  There is a one mile loop trail and is located at 1495 McGregor Road, DeLand, Florida. 

Behavior

Florida scrub jays are cooperative breeders; they live in families that consist of a monogamous breeding pair and usually one or more helpers. The helpers are offspring from previous breeding seasons; they assist the family in predator defense, territory defense, and feeding new hatchlings. Family members take turns acting as a sentinel, watching for predators and giving an alarm call if a predator is seen. 

Diet

Consists of acorns, insects, berries, seeds, small amphibians and reptiles, and even other birds. During the fall they can gather over 6,500 acorns, the majority of which are buried until they need them. Florida scrub jay fledglings are fed almost exclusively a diet of insects.

Nest

Scrub jays nest from March to June. They lay three or four eggs. Scrub jays suffer high mortality rates among the young. 

Threats

Scrub jay population has declined 90% in the last century. Habitat loss is currently the greatest threat to Florida scrub jays. The high, dry habitats that scrub jays depend on are being rapidly converted for human use. Only 15% of scrub habitat remains. Fire suppression also will cause habitat to be overgrown and unsuitable for scrub jay use. Outdoor domestic and feral cats are threats to the Florida scrub jays. Several species of hawks will also prey upon scrub jays. Snakes and raccoons are very important predators on nests. However, the very nature of cooperative breeding means that there are always at least one set of eyes on guard against predators.

Florida scrub jays need our help!

Conservation

Volunteers from Florida Audubon Jay Watch Program count scrub jays annually. Click here to learn more about the Jay Watch Program. 

Scrub jays are federally protected and listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.