Florida+Scrub+Jay

media type="custom" key="3680913" By Kyle H.

Florida scrub-jays are one of the thousands of threatened species. Florida scrub-jays are discribed as large songbirds with a blue head, wings, and tail. Florida scrub-jays have a pale gray-brown back and underpass and a whitish throat with a blue necklace. Florida scrub-jays are 9 to 11 inches long. They con weigh anywhere from 2.33 ounces to 3.25 ounces and have a wing span of 13 to 14 inches. As far as gender differences, males average slightly larger than females. Thier calls are harsh and scratchey. Female calls are like a dry rattle. The Florida scub-jay lives in scattered, often small and isolated patches of xeric oak scrub, sand pine scrub, and scrubby flatwoods. The type of habitat Florida scrub-jays perfer burns frequently enuogh to maintain a height of 3 to 10 feet tall.Florida scrub-jays try to avoid forest types such as wetlands or open fields. Florida scrub-jays eat many different types of plants and animals. A few of the animals they eat are insects, snakes, frogs, lizards, birds eggs, and terrestrial invertebrates. Florida scrub-jays consume acorns year-round especially during winter when other plants such as drupes and greenbrier berries are not available. Florida scrub-jays numbers have been considerably reduced by suburban develepment. They have also been decreased inn numbers because of frequent wildfires,seasonably high rainfall, periodic drought, nutrient poor soil, and predators resulting in death or loss of habitat. Florida scrub-jays have also had thier numbers reducedby pesticides sprayed on golf courses to kill insects which in turn are eaten by Florida scrub-jays.