The St. Lucie County Environmental Resources Department (ERD) maintains preserves with scrub habitat that I recommend hiking. Along the way, trekkers might encounter Florida scrub-jays in St. Lucie County preserves. Sheraton Scrub is one preserve located at 2222 North 41st Street, Fort Pierce. Indrio Savannahs Preserve, 5275 Tozour Road, Fort Pierce. According to ERD colleagues, etiquette when viewing scrub jays in the county’s preserves includes photos only, no baiting or feeding. Compliance with all federal, state and county laws, rules and regulations concerning protected species is required. For information about Florida scrub jay federal protections, please contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Vero Beach Office at (772) 562-3909.
St. Lucie County is located along the southeastern coast of Florida. Pine flatwoods are the predominant upland natural habitat type found in the county; however, we also have an abundance of scrubby areas. The Florida Natural Areas inventory defines scrub as upland habitat with deep sand substrate; xeric; occasional or rare fire (usually 5-20 years); open or dense shrubs with or without pine canopy; sand pine and/or scrub oaks and/or Florida rosemary. Rosemary and sand pine scrub communities are found in St. Lucie County. Families of scrub jays can be found in several county scrub preserves.
Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)
FWC Florida Scrub-Jay Website
Federal Status: Threatened
FL Status: Federally-designated Threatened
FNAI Ranks: G3/S3 (Rare)
IUCN Status: VU (Vulnerable)
References
Florida Natural Areas Inventory. (2010). FNAI 2010 Natural Community Short Description. Retrieved from https://www.fnai.org/PDFs/AA_Short_Descriptions_Final_2010.pdf
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (2005). Florida Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma coerulenscens. Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov/northflorida/Species-Accounts/Fla-Scrub-Jay-2005.htm
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