Scrub Jays Can They Survive on the Treasure Coast

8/9/2019 Scrub Jays Can They Survive on the Treasure Coast

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Scrub-Jays

Can they survive on theTreasure Coast?

by Greg Braun

Audubon of Martin County621 SE Palm Beach Rd

Stuart, FL 34994772-288-2637

www.audubonmartincounty.org


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Jays in Florida


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The Florida Scrub-Jay

Physical characteristics

+ 11 in length

Blue head and back

Dark face

Whitish foreheadGray undersides

No crest


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The Florida Scrub-Jay


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Geographic Range of the FL Scrub-Jay

Map Source: G.E. Woolfenden, 1996. Rare & Endangered Biota of Florida, Volume V.

Former range of

39 peninsular FL

counties has been

reduced to 29

counties

Total world

population is

estimated to be7,000 to 11,000

individuals


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Habitat of Florida Scrub-Jays

ScrubAncient beach dunes

Deep sandy soils

Little available water

Shrubby vegetation

usu < 10 tall

Cactus country

Intermittent open areas


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Vegetation of Scrub Habitat

Scrub Oaks

Scrub oak

Sand live oak

Chapman oak

Myrtle oak

ACORNS !


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Vegetation of Treasure Coast Scrub Habitat

Rosemary

Sand Pine(but less than 15)

Ground lichens


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Scrub-jays as an Indicator of Scrub

4-petal Paw-pawGopher tortoise


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Federal Wildlife Laws

Migratory Bird Treaty Act

Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act

Endangered Species Act

Wildlife Code (Chapter 39 F.A.C.)

Fl. Endangered & Threatened Species Act

Florida Wildlife Laws


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ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

Endangered - A species whose prospects of survival

in the wild are in jeopardy (e.g., Florida Panther)

Threatened -A species that may not be in immediate

danger of extinction, but is likely to become en-dangered if protective steps are not taken (e.g.,

Florida Scrub-jay)

Designated as threatened by State in 1975, by FWS in 1987

Species of Special Concern - A species that faces amoderate risk of extinction in the future(e.g.,

White Ibis)


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DietArthropods

Grasshoppers

Crickets

Caterpillars

Spiders

Plant material

Acorns (6,500-8,000!)

Blueberries

Greenbrier fruitsOther critters

Small snakes

Lizards


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Life Cycle

Mate for Life

Nest once/year

- Nest usu well hidden

- usu Feb-May- Avg. 3 eggs

- Incubation + 18 days

- Fledge at 12-25 days Reproductive at 2-3 yrs

Reproductive for + 4 yrs

Life span + 10 yearsPhoto by G.E. Woolfenden


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Strong Family Bonds

Cooperative Breeder

- Youngsters help parents

raise future generations

- Defend territory

- Mob predators

- Sentinel; Alarm calls

- Find food

- Feed nestlings

Youngsters inherit property


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Tame for better or worse

Scrub-jays will readily accept hand-outs of peanuts

+ Helps retain jays when

habitat cant otherwise

support them

+ Improves productivity

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- Junk food jays

- Vulnerable when/if food

supply endsPhoto by Ida Cantwell

Feeding of Scrub-jays without a permit is against the law & is now being enforced by FWC


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Migration too much work!

Maintain territories year-round

Avg. territory: + 22 acres

(varies based on # helpers &quality of habitat)

Typical range < 1.8 miles

Fiercely defend

Habitat optimal if at least

20% is bare sand


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Management of Scrub Habitat

Natural Communities in peninsularFlorida are adapted to intermittentnatural disasters


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Challenges to Survival

Long-term loss of suitablehabitat by conversion toother uses or successioninto forested areas

Habitat destruction

Inability to cross geographic

barriers

Inability to out-compete blue

jays in urban areas

Existing habitat being cut into

fragments that are too small


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Challenges to Survival Contd

Predation- Snakes

- Birds: hawks, owls

- Mammals

Bobcats

Raccoons

Foxes

Cats


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Long-term Trends

Christmas Bird Count

0

100

200

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Year

#

Individuals

Florida Scrub-Jay Blue Jay


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What Can We Do ?

Admit defeat Promote land acquisition Promote more productive

habitat management

Buy and manage land

Be ambassadors

Incite the public

Conduct scientific studies to

enhance understanding and

promote adaptive mgmt


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What is Audubon of Martin County Doing ?

1. Learning more so that sciencewill determine the action plan

1.a Identifying the location of allscrub jay families(in progress)

1.b Determining the size of eachfamily

(in progress, so far 1-8)

1.c Determining the geographicrange of each family

(beginning)


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What Audubon is Doing


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What Audubon and partners are doing

Physical measurements - completed

Blood workDNA analysis

completed


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What Audubons partners are doing

Mgmt burns at Jonathan Dickinson State PkR. Rossmanith10/6/09


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What Audubons partners are doing

New Scrub Mgmt

Guidelines nowapproved


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In progress

2. Identifying & Protecting

habitat

2.a. Identifying occupied

habitat

Any for sale ? ( Yes)

2.b. Identifying restorable un-

occupied habitat

2.c. Searching for $ foracquisition & management


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3a. Advocating public land acquisitionof scrub-jay habitat

e.g., Seabranch (912 ac)

3b. Advocated the purchase ofproperties being acquired underthe cent sales tax approved inNov 2006

o Scrub Oak Park addition (aka Wuhrman)

o Hamm property

o Alghita property


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4. Advocating more aggressiveland management & habitatrestoration

(In progress)

5. Public Education

(In progress)

6. Governmental coordination(in progress)


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Involvement with:

Statewide JayWatch program

(thus far limited to J. Dick-

inson State Park 2007-2009.

The SE Florida Scrub

Ecosystem Working Group

Field TripsEducation

Regulatory Advocacy

- Tanah Keeta

- Scrub Mgmt Guidelines


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Systematically revisitingformer jay locations to searchfor and document the presenceand abundance (or absence) ofscrub-jays.


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What Audubon is DoingThe Palm Beach Post

The Eagle, and now the

Scrub-jay

By Sally SwartzPalm Beach PostSunday, May 10, 2009

The short dirt street,just a block north of U.S.1, ends in a few vacant lotswith a trail road, a fenceand a "No Trespassing"sign. Squat, shrub-sizedoaks and open patches ofwhite sand mark the landas "scrub," the state's mostthreatened habitat andhome of the endangered

Florida scrub jay.


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2009-10 Plans

We need your

help!

Time is runningoutsomegroups are now a

single individual


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What you can do to help

Become involved

Sponsor or monitor a

scrub-jay family

Contribute time, effort or $

Join in advocacy

Scrub Jays Can They Survive on the Treasure Coast

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