Abstract
The Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) is the only bird en- demic to Florida and is now listed as imperiled under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The primary reasons for this status are the loss of scrub habitat to development and inconsistent land management. Even with the protection provided by state and fed- eral laws, many jay populations are likely to disappear as a result of their small size and isolation from larger populations. We assessed 14 years (2007–2020) of data from Jay Watch, a statewide citizen-science initiative, in Indian River County Florida where fragmented sites range from 3.5–6.5 ha. Florida Scrub-Jay populations on these sites de- clined markedly and breeding success was low to non-existent. Even so, most sites were consistently occupied during the years studied and may function as reservoirs of genetic diversity and stepping stones for dispersal. We documented natural recruitment of areas followed by breeding attempts. The involvement of relevant levels of government and property associations in managing Florida Scrub-Jay habitat is vital to sustainability of these isolated populations and their genetic resources. Associated environmental educa- tion is a valuable offshoot of the monitoring.
Recommended Citation
Van Os, Eleanor K. and Carroll, Joseph D.
(2022)
"Fourteen Years of Jay Watch Data Gathered on Small Scrub Fragments in Indian River County, Florida,"
Florida Field Naturalist: Vol. 50
:
Iss.
1
, Article 1.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/ffn/vol50/iss1/1