About Florida scrub-jays, the only bird found solely in Florida, and its festival to be held, March 16
FWC photos of Florida scrub-jay.
The park is located in Martin County, Florida, between Hobe Sound and Tequesta (towns located between Jupiter and Stuart) on Florida's Atlantic coast. Learn more about Jonathan Dickinson State Park and get directions to the park here: FloridaStateParks.org/parks-and-trails/jonathan-dickinson-state-park.
From the festival, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will offer guided walks, earth-friendly exhibits and vendors, kids’ activities and contests, live entertainment, and food; there will be an opportunity to meet FWC staff members and partners who are helping conserve this threatened species. For more information, visit the SpringFest and Scrub-Jay Festival 2024 event Facebook page at Facebook.com/events/387629413871044.
About the Florida scrub-jay
One of the distinctions of the Florida scrub-jay is its unusually cooperative family lifestyle.
“Florida scrub-jays mate for life and live in family groups composed of a breeding pair and their offspring. Juvenile scrub-jays often stay with the family for a year or two after fledging to help defend the family’s territory and raise new chicks,” said Madison Cole, FWC Assistant Avian Conservation Coordinator. “Florida scrub-jays don’t migrate, which means wildlife viewers have the opportunity to observe the life of a scrub-jay family throughout the year.”
The Florida scrub-jay is one of the many wildlife species you could spot at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Scrub-jays rely on sandy scrub habitat to survive, but populations have been impacted by habitat loss, land use change, and the lack of natural or prescribed fire to maintain ideal vegetation height and sandy openings on scrub lands. Scrub-jay populations are thought to have declined by as much as 90% since the late 1800s.
What is its call like? More like a screech than a song, since it is related to species such as crows. Hear the sound of a Florida scrub-jay at AllAboutBirds.org/guide/Florida_Scrub-Jay.
Help Florida scrub-jays by:
• Supporting habitat management and prescribed fires for scrub habitat on FWC Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and Wildlife and Environmental Areas (WEAs), such as the Lake Wales Ridge WEA, Salt Lake WMA and Platt Branch WEA.
• Keeping cats indoors near scrub-jay habitat.
• Reducing the use of pesticides around homes and golf courses since scrub-jays feed on insects.
• Reporting harassment or harm to scrub-jays or their nests to FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline, 888-404-FWCC (3922).
Learn more about Florida scrub-jays at MyFWC.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/songbirds/florida-scrub-jay.