Florida's scrub jay, oftentimes called Florida's friendliest bird, has been the cause of many heated debates between lawmakers, environmentalists, and even a spokesperson for the National Rifle Association (NRA). The debate centers around whether or not to declare this bird, a bird found only in Florida, the official state bird. According to a resolution passed in 1927, the unofficial state bird of Florida is the northern mockingbird; however, this resolution was never made into an actual law leaving the state of Florida without an official state bird. The debate has gotten so intense on this issue that one newspaper journalist joked that perhaps on the state quarter for Florida, there should be a mockingbird and a scrub jay engaged in battle. Funny as that sounds, this image would not be too far from the truth.

The first attempt at making the scrub jay the official state bird was made by Florida state senator Patsy Ann Kurth, who sponsored the bill. She collected over 10,000 signatures from residents all over Florida in favor of the bill and schoolchildren also wrote to their elected officials encouraging them to vote for it. In the end though, it was a lobbyist from the NRA who convinced lawmakers to pass on the bill.

Marion Hammer, the lobbyist for the NRA said, "Why would anyone want a state bird that is on the verge of going extinct?" She also noted that the mockingbird is found all over the state of Florida whereas the scrub jay can only be found in a few select areas of the state. Hammer also charged that the jay is a nasty bird, a robber of other bird's nests, and a killer of nestlings. She further charged that declaring the scrub jay the official state bird of Florida was an attempt by environmentalists to deny landowners their property rights. Her arguments struck a chord with Florida legislators who decided to pass on the bill; however, this has not deterred advocates from trying year after year.

Most environmentalists agree that if the scrub jay was chosen as the state bird, then perhaps there could be more support amongst the residents of Florida to help save the jay. Unfortunately, despite being listed in 1987 as a threatened species by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, very little has been done to help this bird.

The main difficulty facing the Florida scrub jay is loss of habitat due to human expansion. The scrub jay prefers areas of oak scrub and scattered pine trees, but since the building boom from the 1950's to present day, much of this habitat has been destroyed by housing developments, shopping malls, and interstates. Environmentalists are working to save the remaining habitat from being developed; however, it is difficult since there are so many people moving into Florida everyday and they all need housing. There seems to be little room left in Florida for the jay.

Just recently though, environmental and citizen groups in Florida have taken legal steps to try and stop a developer from building over scrub habitat in southern Rockridge. They want to prevent the developer from building a proposed 97 acre subdivision which would encroach on 20 acres of scrub jay habitat. The groups have enlisted the aid of an environmental lawyer in Washington D.C., who claims that with the Endangered Species Act behind them, they stand a good chance of winning their case against this developer.

Development is not the only reason the Florida scrub jay is losing its habitat. The scrub habitat the jays prefer were historically maintained by periodic fires (occurring about every 10-15 years) from lightning storms. When more and more people moved into Florida, they fragmented much of the scrub habitat into several isolated areas. Because of this isolation, this has made the area less susceptible to fires. Also, fires that once would have maintained a healthy balance in the scrub are put out before they can do any good for the habitat; firefighters who do not want them to spread into the human settlements put the fires out too quickly. So, instead of nature maintaining the scrub, these areas have now become overgrown and unsuitable for the jays.

This lack of available habitat has affected the jays reproduction rate. Under ideal conditions, Florida scrub jays will pair up in the spring, and the breeding pair will establish a territory of about 25 acres for their family. They will then build a nest in a fairly small tree and raise about two sets of chicks (3 to 4 eggs per year). The first set of hatchlings will usually stay with their parents for a year or so, helping to feed the next brood and standing watch for predators.

Scientists have found that as the jays lose more and more of their habitat, the young will stay with their parents permanently, instead of pairing up with jays from other families, and set up their own territories. The problem with this is that if the jays stay with their immediate family there are no other jays for them to mate with, which encourages inbreeding and could in turn lead them to extinction more quickly.

Since little has been done to help the Florida scrub jay since it was declared threatened by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, drastic steps must be taken if we want to have any chance of saving the species. Conservation agencies have now begun to try and buy out areas of prime scrub jay habitat, most of which are found in Highland and Polk counties in Florida. The other area found to be a good habitat for many scrub jays is the area around the Kennedy Space Center which is also protected land. Unfortunately, to keep these areas up as good habitats for the jays, controlled fires must be set periodically so that the scrub does not become overgrown.

Despite the bleak outlook for the survival of this species, environmentalists are still trying their best to combat the problems facing the scrub jays. Within the last year, environmental and citizen groups filed paperwork with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to have the bird's status upgraded from threatened to endangered. This was done because during the 1990's, the scrub jay population plummeted by 90% from the last population survey done. These groups are also working with Florida legislators to proclaim the bird the official state bird of Florida the next time the bill comes up for vote. Hopefully, this will bring the Florida scrub jay the recognition it needs from the people of Florida to help it survive.