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 Common Blue Jay Family Size Ranges from 2-8 Individuals Naturally “Fearless” Unique Social System permanent monogomy year-round territoriality cooperative breeding food caching Listed as a Threatened Species by sentinel system U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in 1987 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) IRC Managed Florida Scrub-Jay Conservation Areas (Both HCP Required & Other Preserves)
HCP Mitigation Properties IRC Preserves/Parks with Scrub-Jays
North Sebastian Conservation Area Sebastian Harbor Preserve (162 (406 acres) acres)
Sebastian Highlands Conservation Sebastian Scrub Conservation Area Area (10 acres) (10 acres)
Wabasso Scrub Conservation Area Schnee Preserve (10.6 acres) (111 acres) South County Park Pelican Island Elementary School Sandridge Golf Course Scrub Lots (+12 acres)
Sebastian Airport Scrub Area (38 acres) 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! How Are We Growing Birds/Families???
Management Preservation of Habitat Optimizing Habitat Monitoring Management Activities
Timbering/Pine Canopy Thinning Fencing and Gating Access Points Prescribed Fire/Burn Mechanical Habitat Enhancement Public Use Improvements Exotics Removal (Flora & Fauna) Monitoring 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