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In Seattle, Scrub-Jays Are Here to Stay
As climate changes and development increases, birds are on the move.
© Becky Matsubara CC
California Scrub-Jays are moving north up the Pacific coast of North America. The crafty birds join a number of other corvids, the crow- and jay-like birds, that already call the Pacific Northwest home. As climate and weather change and human development continues, birds everywhere are on the move. Help scientists learn more about birds by reporting your bird sightings through apps like eBird.
BirdNote®
In Seattle, California Scrub-Jays Are Here to Stay
Written by Jason Saul
[Steller’s Jay - https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/22898 ]
This is BirdNote.
Around Seattle, where the BirdNote team is based, we’re used to hearing Steller’s Jays.
[Steller’s Jay - https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/42204 ]
Steller’s Jays are most numerous in coniferous forests, like those stretching across the Pacific Northwest.
But now there’s a whole new jay on the block.
[California Scrub-Jay - https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/120228 ]
The California Scrub-Jay.
As weather and climate patterns change and development spreads, birds everywhere are on the move. California Scrub-Jays, formerly known as Western Scrub-Jays, are moving steadily north, up the Pacific coast of North America. And they’ve made it to Seattle.
The Pacific Northwest is known for being hospitable to corvids. These are the crow- and jay-like birds. There are ravens, crows, Canada Jays, Clark’s Nutcrackers...
And now, California Scrub-Jays.
[Scrub-Jay - https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/120228 ]
Like most corvids, California Scrub-Jays are an “edge species,” thriving at the boundaries between habitats. Humans create lots of edges and boundaries. It’s thought that, as development increases throughout the region, these crafty jays are increasing, too.
[Scrub-Jay - https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/120228 ]
Tracking how birds move and change over time helps scientists understand why some birds become more rare, while others become more common. So share the birds you see on an app like eBird or iNaturalist.
For BirdNote, I’m Michael Stein.
You can find a photo of today’s bird - and every day’s bird - on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Just search for BirdNote.
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Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Recorded by Geoffrey A. Keller and William R. Fish. Seattle ambient track by John Kessler.
BirdNote’s theme music was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
Producer: John Kessler
Managing Producer: Jason Saul
Associate Producer: Ellen Blackstone
© 2018 Tune In to Nature.org September 2018/2019 Narrator: Michael Stein
ID# CASJ-01-2018-09-10 CASJ-01
Jason Saul
Writer
Michael Stein
NarratorSights & Sounds
