Island scrub-jay

Description

The island scrub jay (Aphelocoma insularis) also island jay or Santa Cruz jay is a bird in the scrub jay genus,Aphelocoma,which is endemic to Santa Cruz Island off the coast of Southern California.Of the over 500 breeding bird species in the continental U.S.and Canada,it is the only insular endemic landbird species.The island scrub jay (ISSJ) is closely related to the California scrub jay – the coastal population found on the adjacent mainland – but differs in being larger,more brightly colored,and having a markedly stouter bill.The large bill size is related to its diet,incorporating the thick-shelled acorns of the island oak (Quercus tomentella).They will bury,or cache,the acorns in the fall and may eat them months later.They also eat insects,spiders,snakes,lizards,mice and other birds' eggs and nestlings.