Florida Scrub Jay
(aphelocoma coerulescens)
By James Call
Illustration by Clark Frazier
There
are other scrubs and other jays, but no other bird like the Florida scrub
jay. The little blue bird, up to 10 inches in length,
is found only in Florida. One distinguishing feature is its apparent lack
of fear of man. While other birds will retreat, the scrub jay will come
forward to investigate an intruder. Families stay in the same territory
for many years. A scrub jay can live for more than 30 years.
The scrub jay mates for life. A mating pair will establish a territory of
up to 25 acres and raise one to two broods of hatchlings from clutches of
three to four eggs in a year. An egg hatches after 15-17 days of
incubation. The hatchling attempts to fly after 18-19 days. A young scrub
jay will stay with the family for up to a year, helping to feed the young,
guard against predators and
defend the territory.
The scrub jay has a varied diet. Acorn is a favorite food. They are
gathered and buried by the thousands and eaten when needed all year long.
The scrub jay also preys on spiders, lizards, frogs, snakes and mice, and
will feed on berries, sunflower seeds, corn and peanuts.
The preferred habitat is an extremely dry, relatively open area with oak
and sand pine scrub trees less than 10 feet tall. Most of the area is bare
ground having a few plants less than six inches tall.
The last census of scrub jays counted more than 2,000. Most occur near the
Kennedy Space Center, but some were found in scattered scrubs in central
and south Florida.
This article appears in the July-August 2001 Issue of Florida Wildlife
magazine.