scrub jay
1. Bird Name
The bird understudy is the Scrub Jay, scientifically known as Aphelocoma coerulescens endemic to the United States.
2. Appearance
Scrub Jays exhibit a diverse color palette that involves shades of blue, white, and gray. A striking blue crest falls on their head, while the region around the eyes is bluish-gray. Their wings and tail are also blue, accentuated by white underparts and throat. The color contrasts, making the bird intriguing to observe. Scrub Jays have sturdy, slightly hook-ended beaks and bright, contrasting white irises. Their feathers have a smooth, silky texture which aids in their flight and attributes to their distinctive appearance. Both male and female Scrub Jays largely look the same, making it a bit challenging to differentiate them based on appearance alone.
3. Size
Scrub Jays are medium-sized birds. They come with an average length ranging between 28-30 cm (approximately 11-12 inches). The wingspan of this bird is about 39-43 cm (approximately 15-17 inches). On average, they weigh around 85 grams (about 3 ounces).
4. Habitat & Distribution
Scrub Jays are found natively across the western parts of North America. They inhabit dry, scrubby regions, including chaparral shrublands, oak, and pine woodlands, and suburban gardens across the United States. Specifically, they are a common sight in California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona.
5. Interesting Facts
An interesting behavior exhibited by the Scrub Jays is their ability to remember and plan for the future – a trait uncommon among animals. They hide their food (cache) in different locations within their territories and can remember these locations for later retrieval. They can even steal others’ cached food. Moreover, in scrub jays, tool-using behavior has been reported, such as using small sticks to extract out insects from tree barks.
6. Diet
Scrub Jays are omnivorous. Their rich diet involves a range of Acorns (especially oak), insects, seeds, grains, and small vertebrates. They are also known to visit bird feeders.
7. Behaviors & Sounds
Scrub Jays are non-migratory birds that typically stay within their territories year-round. They are known for their “jay, jay” call, which can be quite loud and raspy. One remarkable behavior is their acorn planting routine, in which they bury acorns and remember their location, sometimes forgetting a few, which grow into trees, helping repopulate oak forests.
8. Conservation Status
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Scrub Jay under the “Least Concern” category. They are not currently considered threatened or endangered.
9. Lifespan
Scrub Jays, on average, live around 9 years in the wild. However, they are known to live up to 15-18 years in captivity.
10. Additional Notes
Scrub Jays’ caching behavior provides an important ecological service as they aid in the dispersal and germination of oak trees. During the fall, they gather acorns and store them underground for winter survival, thus aiding in the regrowth of Oak forests. Their interaction with humans is generally peaceful – they are unafraid and curiosity-driven towards humans but do not typically seek interaction. In Spanish, they are often referred to as “Chara Californiana”.
