Martin County Florida Scrub Jay Watch
Audubon of Martin County Scrub Jay Coordinator
JayWatch@AudubonMartinCounty.org
The Florida Scrub Jay, our Chapter mascot, deserves our support for so many reasons: it has been the subject of intense scientific study because of its unusual cooperative behavior; it is Florida's only endemic bird; it together with the Gopher Tortoise are the iconic indicator species of healthy scrub habitat; it is an interesting and attractive bird; but most famously it is known for the ease with which it becomes accustomed to hand feeding. For more information about Florida Scrub Jays see Florida Scrub Jay: a Threatened Species. Click on the photos on this pages to see larger images.
In response to the declining fortunes of the Florida Scrub Jays, our Chapter set up a program (JayWatchers) to survey the remaining Florida Scrub Jays on private land in Martin County. Surveys conducted between 2009 and 2011, in which most of the sites which supported Scrub-Jay families in 1994 were revisited, indicated that fewer than 10-percent of the territories still had resident Florida Scrub Jays. A number of potentially suitable sites were also surveyed and Florida Scrub Jays were similarly found to be absent. This makes the work of JayWatchers all the more imperative.
The aims of JayWatchers are to:
- Document all remaining Florida Scrub Jay territories in Martin County (excepting State and Federal conservation lands which have their own monitoring programs in place).
- Report these territories to State and local government agencies so that they can ensure these sites receive the maximum protection allowed under law.
- Monitor the status of all the known territories.
- Enlist the support of residents living on or near Florida Scrub Jay territories to monitor their local Florida Scrub Jay status.
- Educate Martin County residents about the status, natural history and needs of Florida Scrub Jays.
- Advocate at local and state levels to protect, improve and create habitat for Florida Scrub Jays.
The JayWatchers Team conducts surveys every Wednesday morning between 8 and 10 a.m. except during the March through May breeding season. New team members are always welcome. For more information contact the JayWatcher Coordinator.
How you can help:
- Report any Florida Scrub Jay sightings. Contact JayWatch@AudubonMartinCounty.org
- Join Florida Scrub Jay Watch. Contact the Audubon office for more information.
- Make a contribution to our Florida Scrub Jay Watch Fund. Contact Pam Hopkins for more information.
Florida Scrub Jay Resources
- For more information about Florida Scrub Jays, see our Florida Scrub Jay Ecology page.
- Florida Scrub Jays- Can They Survive on the Treasure Coast? (PDF) Presentation by Greg Braun.
- Florida Scrub Jay Pamphlet (PDF) .
- More Florida Scrub Jay photos.
- Florida Scrub Jay- Audio Report on Lake Wales Ridge Florida Scrub Jays with bird call.
- Florida Jay- John James Audubon's original text and painting of the "Florida Jay."
