Natural History Wanderings

Island Scrub-jay from Wikipedia

A new study by Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists and collaborators discovered that the  Island Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma insularis) on Santa Cruz Island is among rarest bird species in the U.S.  Previous estimates of the island’s scud-jay population were actually five times greater than the actual population.  Although news of the lower population is disappointing it revealed that the population has grown 20 to 30 % over the last few decades.

This new research has resulted in the International Union for Conservation of Nature changing the Island Scrub-jay’s status from near threatened to vulnerable. The new population count makes the jay one of the 10 rarest songbirds in the continental U.S.  Possible threats to the jay include restricted island range, lack of genetic diversity, West Nile virus and loss of habitat to oak disease and wildfire. Read more at:  New count reveals scrub-jay on Santa Cruz Island is among rarest bird species in the U.S. | Smithsonian Science.