FLORIDA SCRUB-JAY MANAGEMENT IN INDIAN RIVER

COUNTY & THE SEBASTIAN AREA-WIDE SCRUB-JAY HABITAT

CONSERVATION PLAN

Why is the County Monitoring Scrub Jays?

Sebastian Area-Wide Florida Scrub-jay

Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) 14,000 lots within the City of Sebastian with occupied habitat

were in jeopardy of requiring individual USFWS permitting

The USFWS, County, City & School Board worked together to

create the HCP which would cover for the Incidental Take of

these lots should they be occupied now or in the future

This approach allowed for a more comprehensive management

plan that was habitat based and projected to be more effective

than singular permitting and mitigation/minimization measures

Description of the HCP

Allows for the Incidental Take of Florida scrub-jay habitat

for 30 years (finalized March 2000) within the Sebastian

Highlands Platted Subdivision (as well as certain other

parcels including the Pelican Island Elementary School &

Sebastian Airport)

The ITP is mitigated by the conservation land acquisitions &

management of 324 acres suitable for the Florida scrub-jay

North Sebastian Conservation Area

(406 acres)

Sebastian Highlands Conservation Area (10 acres)

Wabasso Scrub Conservation Area

(111 acres)

Pelican Island Elementary School Scrub Lots (+12 acres)

Sebastian Airport Scrub Area (38 acres)

HCP Guidelines & Requirements

Habitat Restoration/Enhancement

for the Florida Scrub-Jay mechanical enhancement (timbering, etc.)

prescribed burning

exotics removal

Protection of the Conservation Areas e.g. fencing, monitoring, patrolling, etc.

Monitoring of the Florida Scrub-Jays and Other “Key” Species report findings to U.S. Fish & Wildlife annually

The Florida Scrub-Jay

Blue & Gray Crestless Jay (not to be confused with the common blue-jay)

Only Bird Endemic to Peninsular Florida

Average Territory - 22 acres

Family Size Ranges from 2-8 Individuals

Naturally “Fearless”

Unique Social System

permanent monogomy

year-round territoriality

cooperative breeding

food caching

sentinel system Listed as a Threatened Species by

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in 1987

Common Blue Jay

The Florida Scrub-Jay in Sebastian, Florida

Between 1991-1998 the population of Sebastian’s scrub-jays declined 45% - from 35 breeding pairs to only 16

Reasons for population decrease:

habitat loss (development)

habitat fragmentation

decreased nesting success

decreased dispersal success

degraded habitat quality caused by development & fire exclusion

increased predation by cats, dogs and other predators not normally found in optimal xeric oak scrub habitat

The Florida Scrub-Jay in Sebastian/North IRC -

1997

In 1997, the Sebastian/North IR County

Scrub-jay population consisted of 2 Sub-

populations (separated by at least 2.2 miles)

South population = 9-10 families (WSCA,

Units 10 & 17 of Sebastian Highlands.)

North population = 4 families (NSCA &

Sebastian Airport)

Sebastian Golf Course & Sebastian

Elementary properties = 5 families

(Carroll & Associates 1997, Toland unpublished data)

HCP Mitigation Properties

North Sebastian Conservation Area

(406 acres)

Sebastian Highlands Conservation

Area (10 acres)

Wabasso Scrub Conservation Area

(111 acres)

Pelican Island Elementary School

Scrub Lots (+12 acres)

Sebastian Airport Scrub Area (38

acres)

IRC Preserves/Parks with Scrub-Jays

Sebastian Harbor Preserve (162

acres)

Sebastian Scrub Conservation Area

(10 acres)

Schnee Preserve (10.6 acres)

South County Park

Sandridge Golf Course

IRC Managed Florida Scrub-Jay Conservation

Areas (Both HCP Required & Other Preserves)

The Florida Scrub-Jay in Sebastian/North IRC - 2015

As of July 2017, the Sebastian/North IR County Scrub-jay

population Sub-populations consist of 27 families

South population = 15 families (WSCA, Sebastian Harbor, Pelican

Island Elementary, Sandridge GC, Schnee Preserve)

North population = 12 families (NSCA & Sebastian Airport)

A GROWTH of 8 Families in 17 years!

Management

Preservation of Habitat

Optimizing Habitat

Monitoring

How Are We Growing Birds/Families???

Timbering/Pine Canopy Thinning

Fencing and Gating Access Points

Prescribed Fire/Burn

Mechanical Habitat Enhancement

Public Use Improvements

Exotics Removal (Flora & Fauna)

Monitoring

Management Activities

Prescribed Fire/Burn

80-Acre Prescribed Burn in

Scrubby Flatwoods on the

North Sebastian Conservation

Area – Photo Taken 3 Months

Post-Burn (June 2012)

Mechanical Habitat Enhancement

Mowed Sand Pine Trees at the North Sebastian

Conservation Area – at Right is the Equipment Used to

Rollerchop Small Trees & Shrubs to Open Scrub Areas &

Encourage Growth of Groundcover Species

How You Can Help

Never feed a scrub-jay. Many foods offered that are not part of their regular diet are usually of low nutritional value to the jays. Jays are used to a varied diet of insects and nuts, and disruption to their regular foraging cycles can affect the timing of their breeding and adversely impact their nestlings.

Be aware of the location of scrub-jays in our County – some of our Conservation Areas are adjacent to roadways and jays can be hit by vehicles. Please reduce your speed in areas where jays may be crossing these roads.

Keep your cats indoors. Predation by domesticated cats can pose a serious threat to scrub-jays.

Please tell us if you encounter scrub-jays! We like to keep track of where they are observed. Please visit our website to find out if there are volunteer opportunities where you can help us manage and improve the habitat in our conservation areas!

Consider becoming a scrub-jay VOLUNTEER! For more information on volunteering with scrub-jay monitoring, please call our office (772) 589-9223.

Please call our office and let us know if you see any activities that you think may be harmful to scrub-jays.

For More Information

MORE INFORMATION ON FLORIDA SCRUB-JAYS IS AVAILABLE ON THE FOLLOWING LINKS:

http://www.archbold-station.org/

http://charlottecountyfl.com/CommunityServices/NaturalResources/ScrubJays/HCP/HabitatConservationPlanning.pdf

http://ww3.brevardcounty.us/environmental_management/wildlife_scrub_jay.cfm

http://www.fws.gov/verobeach/MSRPPDFs/FLScrub.pdf

http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/scrub.htm

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw306

http://www.fnai.org/FieldGuide/pdf/Aphelocoma_coerulescens.PDF

http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/imperiled/profiles/birds/florida-scrub-jay/

http://fl.audubon.org/birds/florida-scrub-jay