Friends of Oscar Scherer Park
Florida Scrub-jay
The Florida Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) is the only bird species unique to Florida and they do not migrate. Scrub-jays mate for life, and raise their young in cooperative family groups consisting of a breeding pair and their offspring.
Offspring act as helpers and assist in defending the family’s territory, nest and young. However, only the breeding pair participates in nest-building, incubating and brooding activities, which take place from late February through the end of June.
The adult Florida Scrub-jay is about 10-12 inches long with blue and gray colored feathers. The head, nape, wings and tail are blue, while the back and belly are gray. Males and females are similar in appearance: however juveniles can be distinguished from adults by their dusky brown head and neck.
Florida Scrub-jays primarily eat insects and acorns, but also consume plants and small animals such as frogs, toads, lizards, snakes and even mice. Each Florida Scrub-jay can harvest and bury an astounding 6,000 to 8,000 acorns from August to November as a food source throughout the year. Feeding Florida Scrub-jays is a federal offense and can affect their natural diet while disrupting their breeding cycle.
Scrub-jay Habitat
Florida Scrub-jays are entirely dependent on oak scrub communities; low-growing oak shrubs punctuated by scattered sandy clearings and few trees. Scrub-jay families utilize a territory of natural habitat ranging from 5 to 50 acres depending on the size of a family group and condition of habitat; the average is about 25 acres.
Management of the scrubby flatwoods is critical to the survival of Scrub-jays and other animals and plants in the park, this management includes prescribed burns to maintain the low oaks and sandy patches for Scrub-jays and other species.
Scrub-jay populations are thought to have declined by as much as 90% over the past century, and preservation of existing populations is of paramount importance. Our effort, with your support, is critical to the conservation of Scrub-jays and their survival on the west coast of Florida.
Please click here to learn how you can join our Adopt A Scrub-jay program!
LGCY – male
LS-AF this male Florida Scrub-jay was banded on 7/17/20 and is from the CAMP family. He skipped around the park looking for a mate and picked droop wing in June 2021, they became the LGCY family.
LGCY – female
This beauty is a female Florida Scrub-jay originally from the TWOA family. Because of the drooping wing and the chance there could be more damage done in the process of banding, she will never be banded. She has found a mate and they have declared a territory of their own and are known as the LGCY family.
CAMP – male
RS-AF this male Florida Scrub-jay was originally from the TWOA family. He managed to insert himself into the CAMP family and was banded there on 7/31/20 and remains there today.
CAMP – female
GS-PF this is a female Florida Scrub-jay with an interesting linage. Both of her parents originally lost their mates in 2020…so her parents are the TWOA male and the SQEZ female. She was banded on 7/31/21 and has now moved to the CAMP territory.