Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma woodhouseii
A simple vista
Until recently, this jay of the Interior West was considered part of the same species as the California Scrub-Jay; the two were officially "split" in July 2016. Unlike its California cousin, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay is mostly an uncommon bird, living in sparse woodlands of juniper and pinyon pine in arid foothills, but it does come into suburbs of some western cities. Its name honors Samuel W. Woodhouse, a doctor and naturalist who accompanied expeditions to the Southwest between 1849 and 1852 and wrote about his experiences.
Todo el texto de la guía de aves y los mapas de distribución fueron adaptados de Lives of North American Birds de Kenn Kaufman© 1996, utilizado con permiso de Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Reservados todos los derechos.
Categoría
Crows, Magpies, Jays, Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Hábitat
Desert and Arid Habitats, Forests and Woodlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets, Urban and Suburban Habitats
Región
Rocky Mountains, Southwest, Texas
Comportamiento
Flap/Glide, Undulating
Población
880.000
Rango e identificación
Mapa de migración y distribución
Mostly a permanent resident. May disperse some distance in winter, especially in dry years when the oaks produce poor acorn crops.
Descripción
Tamaño
About the size of a Crow, About the size of a Robin
Color
Blue, Brown, Gray, White
Forma de alas
Broad, Rounded
Forma de cola
Long, Rounded, Wedge-shaped
Cantos y llamadas
Patrón de canto
Flat, Rising
Tipo de canto
Buzz, Rattle, Raucous, Trill
Hábitat
Arid woodlands of juniper and pinyon pine, plus pine-oak woodlands and oak scrub in foothills. Also found in some suburban areas and parks. In winter, may disperse to lowland riverside woods.
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Comportamiento
Huevos
3-5, sometimes 2-7. Usually light green, spotted with olive or brown; sometimes paler gray or green with large reddish-brown spots. Incubation is by female, about 17-18 days. Male sometimes feeds female during incubation.
Cría
Fed by both parents. Young leave the nest about 18-22 days after hatching, but are tended and fed by the adults for at least another month. Typically one brood per year, occasionally two.
Comportamiento alimentario
Forages on the ground and in trees, singly or in family units during breeding season, sometimes in flocks at other seasons. Often harvests acorns and buries them, perhaps to retrieve them later.
Dieta
Omnivorous. Diet varies with season. Eats a wide variety of insects, especially in summer, as well as a few spiders and snails. Moth caterpillars make up a major percentage of the items fed to the young. Winter diet may be mostly acorns and other seeds, nuts, and berries. Also eats some rodents, eggs and young of other birds, and small reptiles and amphibians.
Nidificación
Unlike the Florida Scrub-Jay and Mexican Jay, this species breeds in isolated pairs, not cooperative flocks. Pairs typically stay together all year on their permanent territory. Nest site is in a shrub or tree, usually fairly low, 5-15’ above the ground, but sometimes higher. Nest (built by both sexes) is a well-built, thick-walled cup of twigs and grass, lined with rootlets and sometimes with animal hair.
Vulnerabilidad
Estado de conservación
Still widespread and fairly common, but has shown recent declines in some parts of range.
Amenazas climáticas que enfrenta el Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Elija un escenario de temperatura a continuación para ver qué amenazas afectarán a esta especie de ave a medida que aumente el calentamiento global. Las mismas amenazas impulsadas por el cambio climático que ponen en riesgo a las aves afectarán también a otras especies de vida silvestre y a las personas.
