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Saving Florida Scrub-Jays - With Marianne Korosy
"It’s about making a difference on one property at a time"
© Judy Gallagher, CC
Florida Scrub-Jays are Florida’s only truly native bird. They breed nowhere else in the world. But today, their population is just 10% of what it was 200 years ago. Marianne Korosy of Audubon Florida is among the people working to save the jays. She coordinates the Jay Watch program, which monitors Florida Scrub-Jays and restores their habitat in places like the Lake Wales Ridge Important Bird Area. “It’s about making a difference on one property at a time,” she says.
BirdNote®
Saving Florida’s Scrub-Jay
With Marianne Korosy, Ph.D.
Written by Todd Peterson
This is BirdNote.
[Calls of Florida Scrub-Jays]
Florida Scrub-Jays – beautiful, curious, and easily approached – are Florida’s only truly native bird. They breed nowhere else in the world. But today, their population is just 10% of what it was 200 years ago.
[Calls of Florida Scrub-Jays]
One remaining stronghold is an area of ancient sand dunes and scrub oak in south-central Florida, called the Lake Wales Ridge Important Bird Area. Marianne Korosy (Ka-RO-see), with Audubon Florida, coordinates Jay Watch there, which monitors the birds and restores their habitat.
“It’s about making a difference on one property at a time. Seeing the delight in people’s faces when they see their first Florida Scrub-Jays and stand there just completely fascinated, captivated by the beautiful blue and silver birds. It’s teaching people that they can make a difference.”
Dr. Korosy sees the Florida Scrub-Jay as a symbol of how land-use changes have affected native birds. Lands converted to growing citrus and other agriculture have lost the oak ecosystems the jays require. [Call of a Florida Scrub-Jay]
What does Marianne recommend for people anywhere who like birds?
“Get out and volunteer! Work to create healthy habitat for plants and animals that are native to your area. And help spread the message! Take your friends and family out with you. Get outdoors!”
There’s more to this story at birdnote.org.
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Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Calls of Florida Scrub-Jay [105737] recorded by G.A.Keller; single call of Florida Scrub-Jay [138375] by G.F. Budney.
Ambient drawn from [105381] Eastern Towhee recorded by G.A. Keller.
BirdNote’s theme music was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson
© 2014 Tune In to Nature.org March 2014 Narrator: Michael SteinMarantz V Tracks 474 & 481
ID# FLSJ-02-2014-03-12 FLSJ-02
Fish & Wildlife has more! https://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/ScrubJayFactSheet.pdf
Todd Peterson
Writer
Michael Stein
NarratorSights & Sounds
