Island Scrub-Jay

One of the rarest birds in the U.S.

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Photo By: Glen Tepke / American Bird Conservancy

The current population of the Island Scrub-Jay, found only on Santa Cruz Island off the California Coast, is only one fifth of what experts had previously believed, according to a new study led by the Smithsonian Institution’s Migratory Bird Center in Washington D.C. and published in the journal Ecological Applications. According to its findings, the Island Scrub-Jay is one of the rarest birds in the United States, even though its population has increased in recent years.

“The bad news is that we only have about 2,500 of these birds left, a very small number for any species,” said lead author Dr. Scott Sillett of the Smithsonian’s Migratory Bird Center. “The good news is that we are seeing an increasing population trend. It appears that there has been about a 20-30 percent population increase in the last 25 years owing to a series of conservation actions on the island.”

Neither state nor federal governments lists the bird as threatened, so it has few legal protections. The American Bird Conservancy is advocating for a state listing.

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