Adi Patel

Hellooooo everyone! I hope everyone had a great weekend. On Sunday (March 29th), I went to Ocala National Forest with some friends with the sole purpose of seeing the Florida Scrub Jay! The Florida Scrub Jay is the only bird species endemic to Florida, meaning it is found exclusively in this state and nowhere else in the world. The Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) is in the order Passeriformes and in the family Corvidae. These beautiful birds are related to Crows, Blue Jays, and Stellar Jays, among others. Fun Fact: Scrub Jays often stay a year or two after leaving the nest to help their parents raise the next year’s clutch. Here are some of the photos I took:

Slide 1: Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)

Slide 2: Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)

Slide 3: Florida Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)

Slide 4: Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) - I took this photo in Banff, Canada, on July 6th, 2025. I just included it because it’s in the same order and family as the Scrub Jay.

Slide 5: Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) - Not in the Passeriformes order or the Corvidae family.

#birds #birdphotography #ferda