© 2005 David N. Kitler ...Science Art-Birds

Title: Scrub-Jay
Species: Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens)
Artist: David N. Kitler (for further information, click on the artist's name)
Image size: 10 1/2" x 10 1/2"
Media: Acrylic on Baltic birch
Date: 2005
Location: artist's studio

The artist notes: "Nothing beats the experience of hiking through an area for the first time and being surprised by what it has to offer.  On a recent trip to Florida, I stumbled across one of the remaining areas that supports scrub oak trees and was soon swarmed by a flock of Scrub-Jays.  I would not call them tame, but they were certainly inquisitive.  I was photographing one that was close by, when my viewfinder went dark.  Looking up I understood why:  the bird was sitting on my lens, with his tail blocking the viewfinder!" 

Florida Scrub-Jays can become very tame. Researchers, who have studied these birds extensively, have found numerous reasons for this. The birds are very smart (as are all members of the corvid--crow --family). Their habitat is open and their potential predators are fairly small and very visible, so they don't need an over-developed sense of caution. They are known to sometimes perch on backs of large mammals (perhaps a confidence-builder). And family sentinels keep a vigilant lookout. This sentinel staff can be substantial since these birds are cooperative breeders, and includes the breeding pair and up to six "prebreeding" offspring. Thus, there's usually someone around to help exclude other Scrub-Jays from their territory. But these sentinels seem to have no quarrel with people, and the young of tame adults are often even more tame than their parents.