A Study of the Florida Scrub Jay – Page 3 – An Amateur's observations of this fascinating bird species

2 Million Years

That is how long scrub-jays have been in Florida. The scientific community believes they made their way over here from the west coast of North America about 2 millions years ago. At that time, the Gulf of Mexico wasn’t totally filled with water yet so creatures and plants made their way across the vast stretches… Continue reading 2 Million Years

A Sad Day on Trail

I knew this day would happen eventually but how can you really be prepared for it? This past Friday while walking on trail I came around the corner and saw a spot of blue on the ground and knew instantly what it was. It was a dead Scrub Jay. Upon further examination I could tell… Continue reading A Sad Day on Trail

Scrub-Jay Fledgling

Baby scrub-jays leave the nest at about three weeks. They are still very small and fragile but they can fly. Unlike many other birds they do not fly off into the wild blue yonder away from the area where they fledged. They actually stick around. Parents and helper birds in the family unit keep them… Continue reading Scrub-Jay Fledgling

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?

Scrub-jays Were in a Frenzy Today

Today, I was at the edge of some scrub right where nature meets human habitat. The birds were eating and stashing nuts as usual but they were acting jumpy, almost frenzied. I couldn’t figure out what was up. One female sat on a fence (pictured) and went through her calls like she was rehearsing. They… Continue reading Scrub-jays Were in a Frenzy Today

No Scrub Jays on Windy Days

It only makes sense that you tend to see less scrub-jays on very windy days. They probably don’t feel like battling the elements and for the most part will stay tucked away in the scrub. The bird isn’t the lightest or the most aerodynamic of the flying animal world. Many journals describe their flight as… Continue reading No Scrub Jays on Windy Days

Submissive Behavior

Yesterday I was explaining to a friend of mine a peculiar behavior I witnessed among a small group of Scrub Jays several weeks ago. Part of the reason I started this blog is because I couldn’t find this particular behavior documented anywhere online in regard to the Florida Scrub Jay. The dominant male of the… Continue reading Submissive Behavior