Pinyon Jays follow a different schedule than migrating raptors and waterfowl, according to a September 9 report. These small, dusty-blue birds with short tails travel widely across Utah, Arizona, and Nevada to find their primary food source, pine nuts.
Members of the crow family, Pinyon Jays occupy their own genus, Gymnorhinus. The species, scientifically known as Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus, is characterized by a blue head, featherless nostrils, and long, pointed bills used to extract high-calorie seeds from pinyon pine cones. They also possess an expandable esophagus that allows them to carry dozens of seeds to be buried for future use.
Because the population of Pinyon Jays has declined sharply, researchers are working to understand how the birds use the landscape to inform land-management and species protection strategies. This research aims to prevent unintentional damage to sites that may appear unused but are critical to the birds' life cycles.
To assist this research, two dozen volunteers from Kanab and Washington County are participating in a study conducted by the Bureau of Land Management and the Great Basin Bird Observatory. Once a week, these participants travel to remote sites to maintain bait stations along the Arizona Strip between Fredonia and House Rock Valley.
By using these stations to locate flocks, researchers can capture birds with mist nets and equip them with small transmitters. This tracking helps scientists identify the feeding grounds, nesting areas, and cache sites the birds depend on to understand which parts of the landscape are most vital to the species.
