12 Winter 2012 Applegater
BIRDMAN
Name that jay
by teD A. GlOveR
When I visit with friends in the
Applegate Valley who are nonbirders, I
often hear a reference to the blue jays
they see regularly in their yards and along
the roadways throughout our area. This
reminds me why ornithologists always
capitalize the names of bird species, and
why, although the birds are clearly blue
jays, they are not Blue Jays, as that name is
reserved exclusively for the familiar crested
jay found primarily east of the Rockies.
In our neck of the woods, the common
jays we see are the Steller’s Jay (with their
bold, dark-blue coloring; dark, nearly black
head and foreparts; and magnificent dark
crest) and the even more prevalent Western
Scrub Jay. Until the 1990s, ornithologists
called this bird simply scrub jay. But after
careful study the American Ornithologists’
Union (AOU), which is responsible for the
Photos clockwise from top left: Western Scrub Jay (Lee Karney, fws.org),
Island Scrub Jay (Bruce Smithson, California), Florida Scrub Jay (Robert Owens, fws.org),
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Dave Menke).
Photo of rainbow taken by Maxie Jarrell on Water Gap Road in Williams, Oregon.
The old Topper house was built around 1900.
formal naming of birds in North America,
split the scrub jay into three species: the
Western Scrub Jay, the Island Scrub Jay
and the Florida Scrub Jay.
Even now, there is a movement under
way to split the Western Scrub Jay into two
separate species since there is a definite
difference between the birds seen along
the west coast from Baja California north
into Washington, and those birds living in
the interior west from eastern California
and Nevada and all the way to west Texas.
The Western Scrub Jays in our area
are much more colorful than their relatives
inland. You can spot them throughout
the Applegate Valley, particularly in oak
woodlands and in your own yards and
parks. Look for the brown back that
contrasts sharply with the blue nape
and wings. Did you know that Western
Scrub Jays pair up for long-term bonds
and live throughout the year in the same
territory? It’s been reported that the young
of a pair can stay close for some time and
help raise subsequent broods.
Two more birds
to watch for this
time of year are often
referred to as “little
brown sparrows.”
But they, too, have
specific names to
Ted A. Glover
r e m e m b e r. T h e
Golden-crowned
Sparrow returns to our area from its
northern breeding grounds and spends
time foraging in dense undergrowth. It
has a golden crown with black borders.
The White-crowned Sparrow has a gray
breast and a bold black-and-white striped
crown. It is very common in our area in
the winter, often seen in flocks of 20 or
more, and will often remain in the same
area for many weeks. It, too, prefers brushy
habitat and can be seen scratching among
leaf debris with both feet as it looks for
seeds and small insects.
Ted A. Glover
541-846-0681
tedglover9@gmail.com
