Florida Scrub-Jay - FWC

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Buy and Apply
- Recreational
  - Fishing & Hunting
    - How to Order
    - Do I Need a License?
    - Limited Entry/Quota Hunts
  - Public Land Use
  - Accessibility Accommodations
- Commercial
  - Commercial Licenses
    - Commercial Saltwater
    - Commercial Freshwater
    - CLS Online Login
  - Charter Licenses
  - Vessel Pier Licenses
- Wildlife
  - Wildlife Permits
  - Nuisance Wildlife Permits
  - Captive Wildlife Permits
- More ...
  - Application Forms
  - Boating & Navigation
Resolve a Wildlife Conflict
- Wildlife Alert
  - Report a Violation
  - Know the Rules
    - Captive Wildlife
    - Saltwater Recreational Regulations
    - Freshwater Recreational Regulations
    - Hunting Regulations
    - Boating Regulations
    - See All
- Resolve Wildlife Conflict
  - Learn to Unhook Seabirds
  - Living with Wildlife
    - Bear
    - Bats
    - Coyote
    - Alligators and Crocodiles
    - Shorebirds/Seabirds
    - Snakes
    - See All
- Report Issues
  - Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc.
    - Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program
    - Report Fish Kills
    - Red Tide Status
    - Report Sightings of Nonnative Species
    - Report injured, orphaned or dead manatees
    - See All
Engaging in Conservation
- Conservation
  - Value of Conservation
  - Living with Wildlife
  - Freshwater Programs
  - Saltwater Programs
  - Terrestrial Programs
  - Stash the trash
  - Special Initiatives
    - Coastal Wildlife
    - State Wildlife Action Plan
    - See All
- Wildlife and Habitats
  - Wildlife Conservation
  - Nonnative Species
  - Species Profiles
    - Alligator
    - Bald Eagle
    - Bear
    - Gopher Tortoise
    - Manatee
    - Panther
    - Sea Turtle
    - See All
- How You Can Conserve
  - Install Wildlife Lighting
  - Exotic Pet Amnesty
  - Habitat Management
    - Working with Private Landowners
    - Invasive Plants
    - Prescribed Fire
    - Management Plans
    - Aquatic Habitat Conservation
    - See All
  - Education
    - Educators
    - Outdoor Skills
    - Learn about Wildlife
    - See All
- Research
  - Freshwater
  - GIS and Mapping
  - Habitat
  - Manatee
  - Red Tide
  - Saltwater
  - Wildlife
  - Publications
  - About
Things To Do
- Fishing
  - Freshwater Fishing
    - Recreational Regulations
    - Commercial Regulations
    - Fish Identification
    - Fishing Education
    - Sites & Forecasts
    - See All
  - Saltwater Fishing
    - Recreational Regulations
    - Commercial Regulations
    - Fish Identification
    - Saltwater Fishing Clinics
    - Provide Comments
    - See All
- Hunting
  - Regulations
    - WMA Brochures
    - Season Dates
    - Hunter Safety
    - Limited Entry Hunts
  - New Hunter
  - Public Shooting Ranges
  - Alligator
  - Deer
  - Dove
  - Turkey
  - Quail
  - Waterfowl
  - Wild Hog
- Wildlife Recreation
  - Wildlife Viewing
    - Where to View Wildlife
    - How to View Wildlife
    - Backyards and Beyond
    - Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail
    - See All
  - Recreation on Wild Lands
    - What are WMAS?
    - Explore by name
    - Explore by map
    - What to Do
    - See All
- Boating
  - Regulations
  - Safety & Education
    - Safety Equipment
    - ID Cards
    - Courses
    - See All
  - Boat Ramps & Access
  - Derelict Vessels
  - Stash the trash
  - Wear It Florida
  - Wildlife Alert
Places To Go
- WMAs
  - WMA Brochures
    - Area Opened/Closed Status
  - What are Wildlife Management Areas?
    - Explore By Name
    - Explore the Map
    - See All
- Recreation
  - Where to Go
    - Hunting
    - Fishing
    - Wildlife Viewing
    - Hiking
    - See All
  - Outfitters and Guides
- Public Shooting Ranges
  - Range Safety Rules
  - Safety & Education
  - Map of public shooting ranges
- Go Outdoors Florida!
  - Discover Wildlands
  - Fishing Sites & Forecasts
  - Boating Ramps & Access
  - Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail
  - Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network
  - Calendar of Events
  - Artificial Reefs
About Us
- About
  - Inside FWC
    - Research Institute
    - Hunting and Game Management
    - Freshwater Fisheries Management
    - Law Enforcement
    - Habitat and Species Conservation
    - Marine Fisheries Management
    - See All
- Commission
  - Commission Meetings
  - Commissioners
  - Agency Overview
  - Strategic Planning
  - Rules & Regulations
  - News
    - Sign up for news releases
- Contact
  - Social Media
  - FWC Offices
  - Law Enforcement
  - Wildlife Alert
  - Tell Us What You Think
  - Rule Change Comments
  - Public Records Requests
  - Order Publications
  - Signs
  - Participation at Your Event
- Get Involved
  - Volunteer
  - Internships
  - Employment
    - Law Enforcement
    - Career Opportunities
  - Support FWC
    - Gift Ideas
    - Youth Programs and Activities
    - Donate
    - Buy-a-Plate

Florida Scrub-Jay

Aphelocoma coerulescens

Species Status Native Imperiled
View All Species

Listing Status

Federal Status: Threatened
FL Status: Federally-designated Threatened
FNAI Ranks: G1G2/S2S1 (Globally Imperiled/Critically Imperiled)
IUCN Status: VU (Vulnerable)

Appearance

The Florida scrub-jay is a blue and gray bird about the size of a blue jay. Scrub-jays have blue wings, head, and tail, and gray back and underparts, and a whitish forehead and neck. Unlike blue jays, this species does not have black markings or a crest.

Behavior

The diet of the Florida scrub-jay primarily consists of insects, frogs, toads, lizards, mice, bird eggs, and acorns.

Florida scrub-jays live in family groups that consist of a breeding pair and young helpers, which are usually the offspring of the pair. Scrub-jays begin breeding around two to three years of age and will continue breeding throughout their lifetime. Scrub-jays are cooperative breeders, as offspring of the breeding pair may stay as helpers for one or more years to help raise other young and defend the territory. Scrub-jays breed from March to June and nests are built from twigs and palmetto fibers 3 to 10 feet (0.9 – 3 meters) off of the ground in shrubby oaks. Scrub-jays are non-migratory and typically defend the same nesting territory year after year. Florida scrub-jays usually have one brood (the young hatched from a single clutch) per year, but will renest if failure occurs early in the season. The average clutch size for the scrub-jay is two to five eggs per nesting. Eggs are incubated for 18 days and the juveniles fledge at about 18 days after hatching (range 12 -25 days; Woolfenden and Fitzpatrick 1996). Immature scrub-jays usually remain in their natal territory as helpers for the first year.

Habitat

The Florida scrub-jay is the only species of bird that is endemic to Florida. Scrub-jays inhabit sand pine and xeric oak scrub, and scrubby flatwoods, which occur in some of the highest and driest areas of Florida – ancient sandy ridges that run down the middle of the state, old sand dunes along the coasts, and sandy deposits along rivers in the interior of the state. Scrub-jays do best in areas that contain large quantities of oak shrubs that average 3.28-6.56 feet (1-2 meters).

Threats

The primary threats to the Florida scrub-jay are habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation from development and agriculture. Much of the scrub habitat has been altered for agricultural lands and development. Habitat fragmentation is steadily increasing, and in turn, causes populations to become smaller and more isolated. As fragmentation continues, fewer scrub-jays are able to travel between the patches of suitable habitat. Small populations are at risk of disappearing because of a lack of connectivity. Fire suppression degrades the scrub habitat, as the habitat becomes too dense and tall to support the species. The scrub-jay population has declined 90% in the past century due to these threats (Florida Natural Areas Inventory 2001). Vehicle strikes are also a threat to the population (Johnson et al. 2009).

Conservation and Management

The Florida scrub-jay is protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act. It is also protected as a Threatened species by the Federal Endangered Species Act and as a Federally-designated Threatened species by Florida’s Endangered and Threatened Species Rule. Prescribed burning is an essential element to conserving the Florida scrub-jay.

Federal Recovery Plan

Scrub Management Guidelines

FSJ Banding Guidelines

References

Florida Natural Areas Inventory. 2001. Field guide to the rare animals of Florida.

Johnson, S.A., K.E. Miller, and T. Blunden. 2009, June. The Florida Scrub-Jay: A Species in Peril. Retrieved May 11, 2011, from University of Florida IFAS Extension.

Woolfenden, G.E. and J.W. Fitzpatrick. 1996. Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). Species account, version 2.0 in A.F. Poole and F.B. Gill, editors. The birds of North American. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.228 Accessed 11 November 2019.

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