Gallery Spotlight
FLORIDA SCRUB-JAY NEST
By Kim B. Parrish
© 2020 – 36 x 24” Oil on Canvas
FLORIDA SCRUB-JAY
Aphelocoma coerulescens
Federal and FL Status: Threatened
Living in close family groups, Florida scrub jays are one of the few birds in North America that practice “cooperative breeding.” After fledging, the young will remain in the group for several years, assisting the parents with feeding new nestlings and guarding the family territory. These birds are found only in Florida’s unique “scrub” ecosystem, which restricts them to the driest, open sandy areas of the state. They prefer smaller trees, including ancient types of sand pine, sand live oak and palmettos.
Florida Scrub-Jays are intelligent, bold and curious—they collect and cache thousands of acorns each fall, burying them a few inches under the sand. Being the only bird species that is endemic to our state, the Florida scrub-jay enjoys a special status here. In the last 100 years, 90 percent of Florida’s Scrub-Jay population has been lost. There is on-going effort to appoint the Florida scrub-jay as the new official state bird.
My original Florida scrub-jay art, “Scrub-Jay Nest” is 36 x 24 inches on canvas, portraying a family group caring for young hatchlings in Florida’s scrub oak habitat. Thanks for your interest in my work, and I hope my artwork inspires you to learn more about Florida’s wilderness.