Adult: A gray back and a dark eye-and-ear patch accent the coloring of this sky-blue bird. Its throat and forehead are white and the white breast is streaked with dull blue. The underparts are gray. The sexes are alike in plumage.

Immature: Similar to adult.

Habitat: The Scrub Jay is a creature of dry scrub oak barrens, of which precious little remains in central Florida. There are a few oases of which Merritt Island NWR, Ocala National Forest and Blue Spring State Park may be the most extensive. Perhaps 10,000 Florida Scrub Jays remain in their rapidly decreasing habitat.

A nonmigratory resident, the scrub jay breeds in Florida from May through July. Older siblings, offspring of the breeding pair, help out in caring for the young. If you are searching for the Florida Scrub Jay in an area where you have been told you may find them - look for the sentry. A lookout is usually perched above the group, on a telephone wire or atop the tallest scrub oak. Scrub Jays are often seen feeding on the ground.

Text by Mary Jean Rogers, West Volusia Audubon.