The Florida scrub-jay is a medium-sized bird native to Florida, known for its striking blue plumage and distinctive call. It is the only bird species that is entirely endemic to Florida, found mainly in the scrubby, sandy habitats of the central and southern part of the Sunshine State.
But extensive development, habitat fragmentation, and habitat degradation have caused the scrub-jay population to decline significantly over the past century.
Another threat facing the Florida scrub-jay is climate change. According to a new study by researchers from the Archbold Biological Station and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, warmer winters driven by climate change are causing Florida scrub-jays to nest one week earlier than they did in 1981. This seemingly innocuous change has reduced the number of offspring raised annually by 25% since 1981.
The research team examined 37 years of data to assess the impacts of warming on reproductive efforts. From 1981 to 2018, the average winter temperature at Archbold Biological Station in Florida increased by 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite increases in the number of nests built and eggs laid over the longer breeding season, Florida scrub-jays are not producing more young.
The researchers hypothesize that warmer temperatures make the nests susceptible to predation by snakes for a longer period of the Florida spring than in the past. The findings, which were recently published in the journal Ornithology, suggest that climate change could dampen the success of conservation efforts for this threatened species.
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Long-term study reveals warming climates threaten Florida scrub-jay
Photo, posted October 15, 2018, courtesy of Judy Gallagher via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio
