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Help Protect Nature! |
By Judy Althaus
Atop the ancient sand dunes of the Lakes Wales Ridge, The Nature Conservancy leads a program that carefully monitors the Florida scrub-jay. Jay Watch keeps tabs on Florida’s only “endemic” bird – one that lives nowhere else on Earth.
The Florida scrub-jay teeters on the brink of extinction. Its habitat has rapidly declined, and today 90 percent of the tightly knit scrub-jay families that once inhabited Florida are gone.
Jay Watch scientists and volunteers—or citizen scientists—are increasingly determined to protect this charismatic bird. Nature.org spoke with Conservancy Biologist and Jay Watch Program Director Cheryl Millett to find out why.
Nature.org: Why is the Florida scrub-jay the object of such scrutiny?
Cheryl Millett: They are threatened with extinction, and are very endearing birds. Friendly, curious and relatively fearless around humans, the scrub-jay may land on a volunteer’s shoulder during a survey!
Their family life is intriguing. Florida scrub-jays mate for life and form small families that live in 25-acre territories. They aren’t strong fliers, and never stray far from home. A juvenile bird stays with its parents for a year or more, helping raise the next nestlings and serving as sentinel for hungry hawks and snakes.
To scientists they are a “flagship species.” This means if the scrub-jays are not doing well, something is not right with the low and open scrub that they prefer.
Nature.org: What does the Jay Watch program do?
Cheryl Millett: Since 2002, the Conservancy program has paired volunteers with field biologists to survey scrub-jay populations and monitor vegetation conditions. Trained teams go into scrub-jay habitat every year from mid- June to mid-July. It’s hot, but a prime time to observe the year’s young birds.
Last summer 232 volunteers documented 847 jays. They contributed thousands of hours, surveying 67 sites in 14 counties – almost quadrupling our reach. To back up our work the Conservancy partners with experts at Archbold Biological Station, who give Jay Watch volunteers high praise.
Nature.org: How are the Jay Watch results used?
Cheryl Millett: Results are compared with previous years to show populations trends. Jay Watch tells us where the jays are doing poorly, and where they thrive. We create maps that help managers decide where and how to improve habitat. Where scrub habitat has been restored to low and open conditions, we see the birds survive and thrive.
Nature.org: What overall trends do you see?
Cheryl Millett: Over the long term, we see regular decline. Scrub-jays have disappeared from many counties, including southern Palm Beach County in 2008. It’s a wakeup call to protect scrub habitat.
Recent Jay Watch results are mixed. Almost half of our 2008 survey sites showed reduced populations, while 40 percent increased and 12 percent stayed the same. The good news is we see scrub-jays moving more quickly than expected into areas with restored habitat.
The Lake Wales Ridge jay population is one of Florida’s most concentrated. But we’re concerned that all 16 Jay Watch sites on the Ridge have dropped to fewer than 10 family groups, making them especially vulnerable to extinction.
In 2008 Archbold Biological Station scientists saw high mortality at their own well-populated site along the Ridge, losing a quarter of their birds. While disease is natural, fluctuating from year to year, scientists are closely studying a possible epidemic that could cause smaller populations to “wink out”.
Nature.org: What other threats do Florida scrub-jays face?
Cheryl Millett: Scrub-jays require a rare “oak scrub” habitat, an ancient Florida ecosystem that is also perfect for citrus groves and human neighborhoods. Conservationists have defended this limited acreage for years, but lose more battles than they win. So, scrub-jay habitat has dwindled.
A second major threat comes from a wide misunderstanding about fire. Some think that fire must be avoided at all costs – and wildfires can, of course, be quite destructive. But lightning has touched off fires in Florida for thousands of years, and many species like the scrub-jay need fire to maintain their homes.
Controlled burns, like those applied by Conservancy professionals, actually reduce the intensity of wildfire by thinning out overgrowth and buildup of dead vegetation.
Nature.org: How can people help the Florida scrub-jay to survive?
Cheryl Millett: We can protect their habitat. People can donate to The Nature Conservancy and vote for land conservation at state and county levels. We can also share the message about how controlled burns keep scrub lands healthy and are vital to the scrub-jay's very survival.
Those who want to become Jay Watch volunteers are welcome to join the team! They can e-mail me at cmillett@tnc.org for more information.
Judy Althaus is a conservation writer with The Nature Conservancy in Florida.
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Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Eric Blackmore (Florida scrub-jay); Photo © Eric Blackmore (Cheryl Millett); Photo © Eric Blackmore (Jay Watch volunteer).
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