The Florida Scrub Jay

The Florida scrub-jay is a 12-inch-long, blue and gray crestless jay that lacks the white wing spots and tail feather tips of the more common and widespread blue jay. A necklace of blue feathers separates the whiter throat from the gray whitish forehead. The tail is long and loose in appearance, and the back is gray. Scrub-jays that are less than about 5 months old can be identified by their dusky brown head and neck, but there are no such physical traits that distinguish males from females.

Florida scrub-jays mate for life. They nest in March through June. Scrub-jays build a new nest each year. The nest, a shallow basket of twigs lined with palmetto fibers, is typically built about 3-10 feet above ground in one of the shrubby oaks. Scrub-jays usually raise only one brood per year, but in case of nest failures, they may lay two, three, or even four clutches a season, each in a new nest. Clutch size is usually three or four eggs, but may vary from two to five eggs. Incubation requires 17 days, and the nestlings fledge about 17 days after hatching. Young from the previous clutch help to raise the young of the year forming a family unit. A family of scrub jays requires a territory of approximately 20 acres to remain a viable family unit.