picture courtesy of steph_takes_photos on IG Having sat down in the middle of wooded trail areas of Florida and having truly studied this creature, I have compiled many notes. This post is a brief explanation of what will cause a FL Scrub Jay to make an alarm call. Any type of predator bird larger than… Continue reading Which Animals Will Cause a Scrub Jay to Alert?
Category: Behavior
That Time of Year for The Scrub Jay
I see these birds almost every day of the week so I can tell when their behavior changes. Today was that day for the Jays. I encountered a Jay out of his usual territory. Not only was he out his usual area, he was much more aggressive chasing away other birds, including Blue Jays and… Continue reading That Time of Year for The Scrub Jay
Florida Scrub Jay Audible Sounds
I have found in my time being with the Florida Scrub Jay that it has three levels of sound. By that I mean it has three volumes of sound. Those sound levels consist of: Super soft little chirps – They make these tiny sounds when they are in close proximity to one another. It is… Continue reading Florida Scrub Jay Audible Sounds
Why Are FL Scrub Jays So Tame Around Humans?
First, it should be noted that all FL Scrub-Jays are not so tame. The further you get away from human population centers the less tame they are. I have been way back in the brush where the scrub jay is very cautious and absolutely will not come close to you. They more-or-less ignore you. For… Continue reading Why Are FL Scrub Jays So Tame Around Humans?
Scrub-Jays in a Panic
Sometimes you enter into the scrub-jay territory and you can instantly hear that something is going on. You hear a few alarm calls off in the distance. Then you hear the territorial “pish pish” alarm type call they make. Something has got them spooked. In fact, the way I found out that there were bobcats… Continue reading Scrub-Jays in a Panic
Recent Notes from the Field
When I am studying Florida scrub jays in the field I will sometimes bring my phone with me to snap a quick photo or even to take field notes. This post is a gathering of the notes I’ve taken over the last several months. I do not in any way think these behaviors are exclusive… Continue reading Recent Notes from the Field
FL Scrub-Jay’s Interaction with Other Bird Species
There is typically a hierarchy which exists among animal species. For instance, the larger more aggressive breed of dog will typically end up ruling wild packs. I am no zoologist so I do not pretend to be an expert on this subject. But I can tell you what I have examined about the scrub-jay of… Continue reading FL Scrub-Jay’s Interaction with Other Bird Species
Florida Scrub Jay Territory
Most Florida Scrub-Jays never wonder too far from where they hatched. They are thought to travel no more than a mile from that spot during their entire lifetime. There are exceptions to this however. If a bird is displaced by some emergency it can find itself far outside of this one mile radius. In fact,… Continue reading Florida Scrub Jay Territory
The Sentinel
The sentinel scrub-jay is tasked with the duty of keeping a lookout for predators while other birds forage for food or perform other daily tasks. There is no one bird slated for this task. They take turns doing it. It is an understood duty among the group that one bird must be on point in… Continue reading The Sentinel
Are Wild Scrub-Jays as Friendly as Tame Ones?
I am lucky to live near several locations where scrub-jays live. One of the locations is a sanctuary and all the jays there have been banded and are tracked. It is a relatively small location and they run into a lot of people on a daily basis. It is surrounded by houses which I am… Continue reading Are Wild Scrub-Jays as Friendly as Tame Ones?