FLORIDA — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is hosting a celebration this Saturday for the only bird found solely in Florida — the Florida scrub-jay.
What You Need To Know
- The 15th annual Florida Scrub-jay Festival is on Saturday, March 16
- The event is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound
- The festival offers guided walks, earth-friends exhibits and vendors, kids' activities and more
- The event is free to join
FWC is inviting Floridians to celebrate the songbird at the fourth annual SpringFest and 15th annual Florida Scrub-Jay Festival on March 16 at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound.
From 10 a.m to 4 p.m., the festival will offer guided walks, earth-friendly exhibits and vendors, kids’ activities and contests, live entertainment and food. Attendees will also get to meet FWC staff and partners who are helping conserve the threatened species.
According to wildlife officials, one of the distinctions of the Florida scrub-jay is its cooperative family lifestyle.
“Florida scrub-jays mate for life and live in family groups composed of a breeding pair and their offspring. Juvenile scrub-jays often stay with the family for a year or two after fledging to help defend the family’s territory and raise new chicks,” said Madison Cole, FWC Assistant Avian Conservation Coordinator. “Florida scrub-jays don’t migrate, which means wildlife viewers have the opportunity to observe the life of a scrub-jay family throughout the year.”
Scrub-jays rely on sandy scrub habitat to survive, but populations have been affected by environmental impacts to their habitats, according to FWC. Officials say scrub-jay populations have declined by as much as 90% since the late 1800s.
FWC has offered ways for people to help the Florida scrub-jays:
- Supporting habitat management and prescribed fires for scrub habitat on FWC Wildlife Management Areas, such as the Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area, Salt Lake WMA and Platt Branch WEA.
- Keeping cats indoors near scrub-jay habitat.
- Reducing use of pesticides around homes and golf courses since scrub-jays feed on insects.
- Reporting harassment or harm to scrub-jays or their nests to FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline, 888-404-FWCC (3922).
For more information on the free event, visit SpringFest and Scrub-Jay Festival 2024 event page.