Florida Scrub Jay - Conservation

Conservation

Scrub habitat has dwindled considerably in the past several decades as Florida has continued to develop. Wildfire suppression also leads to the natural succession of large oaks and trees which changes the habitat. In recent years, environmental groups within the state have made a strong effort at preserving Florida's remaining scrub through controlled burns and even clearing out areas of large trees to increase the size of a scrub habitat. Oscar Scherer State Park near Sarasota has one of the larger habitats under state management.

The Florida Scrub Jay was officially listed as a threatened state species by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in 1975 and it was listed as a threatened federal species by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1987.

In 1993, there were estimated to be 4000 breeding pairs left in the wild. Despite the protections, the Scrub Jay is still thought to be on the decline. Studies done in Brevard County, once the most numerous Florida county for Scrub Jays, noted declines of about 33% since the 1993 census alone.

Another attempt to conserve the bird is an ongoing campaign to name the Florida Scrub Jay the new state bird of Florida. The main argument for changing the state bird is that the current state bird (viz. the Northern mockingbird) is the state bird of several other states, while the Scrub Jay is exclusive to Florida.

In recent years there has been some debate about whether or not the Florida Scrub Jay should be officially listed as an Endangered Species because of the loss of homes. However, environmentalists hope that current conservation efforts should help the species population to at least stabilize.

On the other hand, the IUCN classifies this species as vulnerable to extinction. In 2004, the population was declining and no more than 10 subpopulations were known. Both the number of adult birds as well as amount and quality of habitat were in decline, and local subpopulations were in danger of disappearing altogether. About 8000 mature birds were believed to exist – with no more than 1000 in any one subpopulation – and population numbers had dropped by about 10% over the last decade or so.

A long-term and ongoing study of the Florida Scrub Jay has been taking place at the Archbold Biological Station at Lake Placid.

The Florida Scrub Jay was featured in episode 11, season 3 of the Showtime television series Penn & Teller: Bullshit!.