Florida scrub jay

noun

variants or less commonly Florida jay

: a scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) that inhabits scrublands and shrubby flatwoods of peninsular Florida and has a blue head, tail, and wings, a whitish forehead, and a grayish back

The only bird species confined entirely to the state of Florida, the Florida scrub jay is similar to a blue jay but lacks a crest.

—Katherine Bouma, Orlando Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2000

The Florida scrub jay is one of the most sedentary of all North American birds—traveling no more than a couple of miles from its birthplace even though it lives more than 10 years …

—Cyril T. Zaneski, Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 1998

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

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