Aphelocoma coerulescens
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens[A]) is one of the species of scrub jay native to North America. It is the only species of bird endemic to the U.S. state of Florida and one of only 15 species endemic to the continental United States. Because of this, it is keenly sought by birders. It is known to have been present in Florida as a distinct species for at least 2 million years, and is possibly derived from the ancestors of Woodhouse's scrub jay.
It measures 23 to 28 cm (9.1 to 11.0 in) in length, and weighs from 66 to 92 g (2.3 to 3.2 oz), with an average 80.2 g (2.83 oz). The wingspan of the jay is 33–36 cm (13–14 in). It has a strong black bill, blue head and nape without a crest, a whitish forehead and supercilium, blue bib, blue wings, grayish underparts, gray back, long blue tail, black legs and feet.
The Florida scrub jay is found only in Florida scrub habitat, an ecosystem that exists only in central Florida and in limited areas along the Atlantic coast, and is characterized by nutrient-poor soil, occasional drought, and frequent wildfires. Because of its being isolated from the mainland as an island (Orange Island) 34 to 28 million... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Scrub Jay sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 2,307 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 65th most-seen of the 279 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and September
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Scrub Jay in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against about 10% in July and November–December, the lowest months. Those are among Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge's wettest months, with about 190 mm of rain a month against 50 mm in March.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Florida Scrub Jay sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, in our data
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Florida Scrub Jay sightings: about 20% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Corvidae
The closest relatives of the Florida Scrub Jay that you can see in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (family Corvidae, Crows, Jays, and Magpies) are Fish Crow (about 40%) and Blue Jay (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Florida Scrub Jay is recorded against all the birds logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (2,307 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
