Florida Scrub Jay

Author : Mark Jerome Walters
Publisher : University Press of Florida
Page : 130 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2021-02-08
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780813065731

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Florida Scrub-Jay by Mark Jerome Walters Pdf

Florida Historical Society Stetson Kennedy Award A portrait of a species on the brink The only bird species that lives exclusively in Florida, the Florida scrub-jay was once common across the peninsula. But as development over the last 100 years reduced the habitat on which the bird depends from 39 counties to three, the species became endangered. With a writer’s eye and an explorer’s spirit, Mark Walters travels the state to report on the natural history and current predicament of Florida’s flagship bird. Tracing the millions of years of evolution and migration that led to the development of songbirds and this unique species of jay, Walters describes the Florida bird’s long, graceful tail, its hues that blend from one to the next, and its notoriously friendly manner. He then focuses on the massive land-reclamation and canal-building projects of the twentieth century that ate away at the ancient oak scrub heartlands where the bird was abundant, reducing its population by 90 percent. Walters also investigates conservation efforts taking place today. On a series of field excursions, he introduces the people who are leading the charge to save the bird from extinction—those who gather for annual counts of the species in fragmented and overlooked areas of scrub; those who relocate populations of scrub-jays out of harm’s way; those who survey and purchase land to create wildlife refuges; and those who advocate for the prescribed fires that keep scrub ecosystems inhabitable for the species. A loving portrayal of a very special bird, Florida Scrub-Jay is also a thoughtful reflection on the ethical and emotional weight of protecting a species in an age of catastrophe. Now is the time to act, says Walters, or we will lose the scrub-jay forever.

Author : Glen Everett Woolfenden,John W. Fitzpatrick
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 428 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 1984
Category : Nature
ISBN : 0691083673

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The Florida Scrub Jay by Glen Everett Woolfenden,John W. Fitzpatrick Pdf

Florida Scrub Jays are an excellent example of a cooperative-breeding species, in which adult birds often help raise offspring not their own. For more than a decade Glen E. Woolfenden and John W. Fitzpatrick studied a marked population of these birds in an attempt to establish a demographic base for understanding the phenomenon of "helping at the nest." By studying both population biology and behavior, the authors found that habitat restraints, rather than kin selection, are the main source of the behavior of Florida Scrub Jays: the goal of increasing the number of close relatives other than descendants in future generations is of relatively minor importance in their cooperative-breeding behavior. The Florida Scrub Jay lives only in the Florida oak scrub. All acceptable habitat is constantly filled with breeders. Each year about half of the pairs are assisted by one to several nonbreeding helpers. This book provides extensive data on fecundity, survivorship, relatedness, and dispersal to establish the demographic milieu and to address questions arising out of observed helping behavior--whom, how, when, and why the helpers help.

Author : Glen Everett Woolfenden,John W. Fitzpatrick
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 425 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2020-03-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691209982

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The Florida Scrub Jay (MPB-20), Volume 20 by Glen Everett Woolfenden,John W. Fitzpatrick Pdf

Florida Scrub Jays are an excellent example of a cooperative-breeding species, in which adult birds often help raise offspring not their own. For more than a decade Glen E. Woolfenden and John W. Fitzpatrick studied a marked population of these birds in an attempt to establish a demographic base for understanding the phenomenon of "helping at the nest." By studying both population biology and behavior, the authors found that habitat restraints, rather than kin selection, are the main source of the behavior of Florida Scrub Jays: the goal of increasing the number of close relatives other than descendants in future generations is of relatively minor importance in their cooperative-breeding behavior. The Florida Scrub Jay lives only in the Florida oak scrub. All acceptable habitat is constantly filled with breeders. Each year about half of the pairs are assisted by one to several nonbreeding helpers. This book provides extensive data on fecundity, survivorship, relatedness, and dispersal to establish the demographic milieu and to address questions arising out of observed helping behavior--whom, how, when, and why the helpers help.

Author : Mark Jerome Walters
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 176 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2021-03-09
Category : Nature
ISBN : 0813066727

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Florida Scrub-Jay by Mark Jerome Walters Pdf

A portrait of a species on the brink The only bird species that lives exclusively in Florida, the Florida Scrub-Jay was once common across the peninsula. But as development over the last 100 years reduced the habitat on which the bird depends from 39 counties to three, the species became endangered. With a writer's eye and an explorer's spirit, Mark Walters travels the state to report on the natural history and current predicament of Florida's flagship bird. Tracing the millions of years of evolution and migration that led to the development of songbirds and this unique species of jay, Walters describes the Florida bird's long, graceful tail, its hues that blend from one to the next, and its notoriously friendly manner. He then focuses on the massive land-reclamation and canal-building projects of the twentieth century that ate away at the ancient oak scrub heartlands where the bird was abundant, reducing its population by 90 percent. Walters also investigates conservation efforts taking place today. On a series of field excursions, he introduces the people who are leading the charge to save the bird from extinction--those who gather for annual counts of the species in fragmented and overlooked areas of scrub; those who relocate populations of Scrub-Jays out of harm's way; those who survey and purchase land to create wildlife refuges; and those who advocate for the prescribed fires that keep scrub ecosystems inhabitable for the species. A loving portrayal of a very special bird, Florida Scrub-Jay is also a thoughtful reflection on the ethical and emotional weight of protecting a species in an age of catastrophe. Now is the time to act, says Walters, or we will lose the Scrub-Jay forever.

Author : Laura Erickson
Publisher : Hachette UK
Page : 262 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2020-10-27
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781635862768

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The Love Lives of Birds by Laura Erickson Pdf

Ornithologist Laura Erickson combines her bird expertise with a touch of romance writing in this exploration of the courtship and mating rituals of 35 bird species, from the tiny ruby-throated hummingbird to the mighty great blue heron.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 42 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 1990
Category : Birds
ISBN : UOM:39015032453337

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Recovery Plan for the Florida Scrub Jay by Anonim Pdf

Author : Larry Allan
Publisher : University Press of Florida
Page : 285 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2014-10-28
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780942084481

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Florida Animals for Everyday Naturalists by Larry Allan Pdf

Did you know fawns have no scent, an evolutionary defense against predators? And that the eastern grey squirrel is a formidable swimmer, which makes them quite suited for the Sunshine State? And that, unlike other avians, Florida scrub jay families stay together for years, with older siblings helping to feed younger siblings? Florida Animals for Everyday Naturalists contains everything you want to know about Florida’s furry, feathered, scaled, and shelled friends. With lively personal essays and stunning photographs, Larry Allan introduces you to the array of wildlife you might encounter in your backyard, at the park, or on a jaunt at one of the state’s many wildlife refuges. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific animal, like the bobcat, the river otter, and the caracara, and paired with vivid photos to help you identify these creatures in the wild. Allan’s fascination with Florida fauna is contagious, and his reverence of nature is unmistakable. While sharing his whimsical, enlightening, and instructive anecdotes, he gently argues for wildlife preservation in Florida and for responsible human-animal interactions. Perfect for young naturalists, inquisitive trekkers through the Sunshine State, or armchair adventurers, this book will help you appreciate the abundance of life right outside your door.

Author : Glen Everett Woolfenden,John W. Fitzpatrick
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 406 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 1984
Category : Science
ISBN : 0691083665

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The Florida Scrub Jay by Glen Everett Woolfenden,John W. Fitzpatrick Pdf

Florida Scrub Jays are an excellent example of a cooperative-breeding species, in which adult birds often help raise offspring not their own. For more than a decade Glen E. Woolfenden and John W. Fitzpatrick studied a marked population of these birds in an attempt to establish a demographic base for understanding the phenomenon of "helping at the nest." By studying both population biology and behavior, the authors found that habitat restraints, rather than kin selection, are the main source of the behavior of Florida Scrub Jays: the goal of increasing the number of close relatives other than descendants in future generations is of relatively minor importance in their cooperative-breeding behavior. The Florida Scrub Jay lives only in the Florida oak scrub. All acceptable habitat is constantly filled with breeders. Each year about half of the pairs are assisted by one to several nonbreeding helpers. This book provides extensive data on fecundity, survivorship, relatedness, and dispersal to establish the demographic milieu and to address questions arising out of observed helping behavior--whom, how, when, and why the helpers help.

Author : Stan Tekiela
Publisher : Adventure Publications
Page : 577 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2020-09-29
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781647550660

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Birds of Florida Field Guide by Stan Tekiela Pdf

Get the New Edition of Florida’s Best-Selling Bird Guide Learn to identify birds in Florida, and make bird watching even more enjoyable. With Stan Tekiela’s famous field guide, bird identification is simple and informative. There’s no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don’t live in your area. This book features 146 species of Florida birds organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don’t know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out. Book Features: 146 species: Only Florida birds Simple color guide: See a yellow bird? Go to the yellow section Compare feature: Decide between look-alikes Stan’s Notes: Naturalist tidbits and facts Professional photos: Crisp, stunning full-page images This new edition includes more species, updated photographs and range maps, revised information, and even more of Stan’s expert insights. So grab Birds of Florida Field Guide for your next birding adventure—to help ensure that you positively identify the birds that you see.

Author : Kenn Kaufman
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Page : 708 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 1996
Category : Nature
ISBN : 0618159886

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Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman Pdf

The bestselling natural history of birds, lavishly illustrated with 600 colorphotos, is now available for the first time in flexi binding.

Author : Jeffrey Cox
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2019-05-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 0530007940

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Distribution Habitat and Social Organization of the Florida Scrub Jay by Jeffrey Cox Pdf

Abstract: Florida Scrub Jays (FSJs) have declined significantly in numbers because of habitat destruction. FSJs have disappeared entirely from six counties in Florida, and their numbers have decreased substantially in seven additional counties. I estimated the total population size in 1982 to be 15,330-22,530 birds, of which 13,100-20,310 were on protected sites. FSJ numbers will continue to decline as the commercial development of Florida proceeds, but the total population size should stabilize at about 12,780-19,780 birds in a few decades. The greatest densities of FSJs are in areas with oak thickets 1-3m tall covering 50-75% of the ground, 10-5-% bare ground, and scattered small trees. Some FSJ populations, however, are found in areas with very few oaks, demonstrating their ability to survive in marginal habitats. Fire is effective, and sometimes essential, in maintaining the habitat in a suitable condition. Mechanical clearing of vegetation, including clear-cutting in Ocala National Forest (ONF), can be an effective substitute for fire. Scrub Jays in ONF inhabit stands of sand pine scrub clearcut from 1965-1978. Clearcuts can support FSJs only from about 3-5 to 12-15 years after clearing. By the time a young male FSJ is old enough to claim part of his parents' territory, the habitat may no longer be suitable. Because of the continual creation of new habitat, FSJs in ONF are found in smaller groups than those at Archbold Biological Station, Florida. Blue Jays in Florida typically breed as pairs, but one nest was found that was attended by two males and one female. Behavior of the adults at this nest suggests that this incident was unusual. Florida Blue Jays do not defend territories, but have broadly overlapping home ranges. The evolution of cooperative breeding in New World jays is discussed. Some of the observed forms of cooperative breeding may not be adaptive, but represent either responses to life in heavily disturbed habitats or the expression of normal parental behavior before a bird becomes a breeder. Dissertation Discovery Company and University of Florida are dedicated to making scholarly works more discoverable and accessible throughout the world. This dissertation, "Distribution Habitat and Social Organization of the Florida Scrub Jay" by Jeffrey A. Cox, was obtained from University of Florida and is being sold with permission from the author. A digital copy of this work may also be found in the university's institutional repository, IR@UF. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation.

Author : Kenn Kaufman
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Page : 394 pages
File Size : 43,9 Mb
Release : 2000
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9780618062355

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Kingbird Highway by Kenn Kaufman Pdf

At 16, Kaufman dropped out of high school and started hitching across America in an effort to see the most birds in a year. "Kingbird Highway" is a unique coming-of-age story, combining a lyrical celebration of nature with wild adventures and some unbelievable characters.

Author : Mark Jerome Walters
Publisher : Island Press
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2012-09-26
Category : Travel
ISBN : 9781610911078

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Seeking the Sacred Raven by Mark Jerome Walters Pdf

Will the 'Alala ever return to the wild? A bird sacred to Hawaiians and a member of the raven family, the 'Alala today survives only in captivity. How the species once flourished, how it has been driven to near-extinction, and how people struggled to save it, is the gripping story of Seeking the Sacred Raven. For years, author Mark Jerome Walters has tracked the sacred bird's role in Hawaiian culture and the indomitable 'Alala's sad decline. Trekking through Hawaii's rain forests high on Mauna Loa, talking with biologists, landowners, and government officials, he has woven an epic tale of missed opportunities and the best intentions gone awry. A species that once numbered in the thousands is now limited to about 50 captive birds. Seeking the Sacred Raven is as much about people and culture as it is about failed policies. From the ancient Polynesians who first settled the island, to Captain Cook in the 18th century, to would-be saviors of the 'Alala in the 1990s, individuals with conflicting passions and priorities have shaped Hawaii and the fate of this dwindling cloud-forest species. Walters captures brilliantly the internecine politics among private landowners, scientists, environmental groups, individuals and government agencies battling over the bird's habitat and protection. It's only one species, only one bird, but Seeking the Sacred Raven illustrates vividly the many dimensions of species loss, for the human as well as non-human world.

Author : Joel Greenberg
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 305 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2014-01-30
Category : Nature
ISBN : 9781620405352

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A Feathered River Across the Sky by Joel Greenberg Pdf

The epic story of why passenger pigeons became extinct and what that says about our current relationship with the natural world. When Europeans arrived in North America, 25 to 40 percent of the continent's birds were passenger pigeons, traveling in flocks so massive as to block out the sun for hours or even days. The downbeats of their wings would chill the air beneath and create a thundering roar that would drown out all other sound. John James Audubon, impressed by their speed and agility, said a lone passenger pigeon streaking through the forest “passes like a thought.” How prophetic-for although a billion pigeons crossed the skies 80 miles from Toronto in May of 1860, little more than fifty years later passenger pigeons were extinct. The last of the species, Martha, died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo on September 1, 1914. As naturalist Joel Greenberg relates in gripping detail, the pigeons' propensity to nest, roost, and fly together in vast numbers made them vulnerable to unremitting market and recreational hunting. The spread of railroads and telegraph lines created national demand that allowed the birds to be pursued relentlessly. Passenger pigeons inspired awe in the likes of Audubon, Henry David Thoreau, James Fenimore Cooper, and others, but no serious effort was made to protect the species until it was too late. Greenberg's beautifully written story of the passenger pigeon paints a vivid picture of the passenger pigeon's place in literature, art, and the hearts and minds of those who witnessed this epic bird, while providing a cautionary tale of what happens when species and natural resources are not harvested sustainably.

Author : Irby J. Lovette,John W. Fitzpatrick
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 736 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2016-06-27
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781118291047

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Handbook of Bird Biology by Irby J. Lovette,John W. Fitzpatrick Pdf

Selected by Forbes.com as one of the 12 best books about birds and birding in 2016 This much-anticipated third edition of the Handbook of Bird Biology is an essential and comprehensive resource for everyone interested in learning more about birds, from casual bird watchers to formal students of ornithology. Wherever you study birds your enjoyment will be enhanced by a better understanding of the incredible diversity of avian lifestyles. Arising from the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology and authored by a team of experts from around the world, the Handbook covers all aspects of avian diversity, behaviour, ecology, evolution, physiology, and conservation. Using examples drawn from birds found in every corner of the globe, it explores and distills the many scientific discoveries that have made birds one of our best known - and best loved - parts of the natural world. This edition has been completely revised and is presented with more than 800 full color images. It provides readers with a tool for life-long learning about birds and is suitable for bird watchers and ornithology students, as well as for ecologists, conservationists, and resource managers who work with birds. The Handbook of Bird Biology is the companion volume to the Cornell Lab’s renowned distance learning course, Ornithology: Comprehensive Bird Biology.