Florida Scrub Jay

A Florida Scrub Jay is a fun bird to see while bird watching. Below are some tips to help you identify Florida Scrub Jays. We have also put together a list of fun Florida Scrub Jay t-shirts, Florida Scrub Jay bird patches, bird houses, bird feeders, binoculars, stickers and other fun bird watching items.

About Florida Scrub Jays

The Florida Scrub Jay is a bird of North American descent that is thought to be a unique species. It is one of the 15 species endemic to the United States.

Florida Scrub Jay Size

Length: 23 to 28 cm

Weight: 66 to 92 g

Wingspan: 33 to 36 cm

Both the males and females are of the same size.

Florida Scrub Jay Appearance

Its plumage is a mixture of blue and gray, with blue wings, a blue head, blue bib, a blue tail, grayish underparts, and a gray back. It has a strong black bill, legs, and feet. It has a whitish forehead and super cilium and has no crest.

Fledglings are similar in appearance from adults. The only difference is their size and the absence of blue plumage, which is brown instead.

Florida Scrub Jay Life and Behavior

The jays are social and are one of the few species of birds that live in families. The females lay 3 to 4 eggs every season and the male plays an active role in raising the young, usually by providing security and at times bringing food.

After hatching, which takes about 17 days, the juveniles stay with their parents for years, helping to rear the incoming younglings. They also help in protecting the family nest from predators and other scrub- jay families.

During winter, they consume the stored acorns as food becomes scarce. Their behavior of storing and hiding acorns is important in the ecosystem because it helps in the growing of trees from forgotten acorns.

Florida Scrub Jay Feeding

Florida Scrub Jays are omnivorous and their diet consists of insects, peanuts, seeds, acorns, frogs, snakes, and young mice.

During the fall, the jays store acorns just below the surface of the ground and consume them later when winter arrives.

Florida Scrub Jays follow an omnivorous diet, which mainly consists of acorns. These intelligent
birds are known to plan ahead by burying thousands of acorns beneath the surface during the fall,
and consuming them when needed during spring and winter. This also makes them an effective
agent for germination as acorns that are lost or forgotten may germinate, and form oak trees.
During the summers, these birds feast on a variety of insects, spiders, and snails. They also eat
various berries, seeds, lizards, frogs, and young mice. On rare occasions, Florida Scrub Jays have
also been noticed eating eggs, or nestlings of other birds.

Florida Scrub Jay Habitat

The Florida Scrub Jay is only found in the Florida scrubs habitat, which is characterized by poor soil, wildfires, and occasional drought.

These birds live in Florida Scrub Habitat, in an ecosystem that is unique to Central Florida, and
some areas along the Atlantic Coast. The distinct characteristics of this habitat are nutrient-poor
soil, drought, and frequent wildfires. Although, these birds can occasionally be spotted in open
areas, and scrubby flatwoods, they are most frequently seen in oak scrub habitats.

Range and Migration

Florida Scrub Jays are magnificent birds that stand apart on many counts. Apart from being the
only birds that are endemic to the state of Florida, they are also one of the only birds who have
developed a complex social system. These songbirds are exclusively residents of Florida, to the
extent that there hasn’t ever been a sighting of Florida Scrub Jays outside the State. Most adults
can be found living just a few miles away from the spot where they were hatched.

Nesting

Florida Scrub Jays are one of the only few birds who are known as cooperative breeders. These
birds have a complicated social system that enables them to form groups that protect their
nesting territories from outside dangers. Each territory is protected by one adult pair, along with
up to 6 other helpers, who are usually offspring birthed by the pair in previous years. The offspring
are fed by the parents, as well as the helpers. As a result of the presence of such numbers, some
Florida Jays can stand as lookouts near the nests to keep the younglings safe, while giving the rest
of the family ample time to search for food. These birds are also very vocal, and can use various alarm calls to alert the rest of the family about imminent danger from predators, using different
signals to signal predators from above; like hawks, or predators from below; like snakes.

Ornithology

Bird Watching Academy & Camp Subscription Boxes

At Bird Watching Academy & Camp we help kids, youth, and adults get excited and involved in bird watching. We have several monthly subscription boxes that you can subscribe to. Our monthly subscription boxes help kids, youth, and adults learn about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation.

Bird Watching Binoculars for Identifying Florida Scrub Jays

The most common types of bird watching binoculars for viewing Florida Scrub Jays are 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. Bird Watching Academy & Camp sells really nice 8×21 binoculars and 10×42 binoculars. You can view and purchase them here.

Florida Scrub Jay T-shirts

If you love the Florida Scrub Jay you should purchase a Bird Watching Academy & Camp T-shirt. To help support bird conservation we donate 10 percent to bird conservation activities.

Florida Scrub Jay Iron On Patches

Kids, Youth, and Adults love to collect our Bird Watching Academy & Camp iron on patches. Our bird watching patches help you keep track of the birds you have seen an identified. You can also display the patches on our Bird Watching Academy & Camp banners.

The Florida Scrub Jay is a great iron on patch to start your collection with. The patches are durable and can be sewn on or ironed on to just about anything.

Florida Scrub Jay Stickers

Stickers are a great way for you to display your love for bird watching and the Florida Scrub Jay. We sell a monthly subscription sticker pack. The sticker packs have 12 bird stickers. These sticker packs will help your kids learn new birds every month.

Bird Feeders For Florida Scrub Jay

There are many types of bird feeders. Here are our favorite bird feeders for your backyard. We use all of these bird feeders currently. Kids will have a great time watching birds eat at these bird feeders. Using this collection of bird feeders will provide a wide variety and many types of birds.

Best Bird Houses for Florida Scrub Jay

There are many types of bird houses. Building a bird house is always fun but can be frustrating. These 4 bird houses have become our favorites. Getting a bird house for kids to watch birds grow is always fun. We spent a little extra money on these bird houses but they have been worth the higher price and look great.