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〕}} * ''Corvus coerulescens'' * ''Aphelocoma californica coerulescens'' | range_map = Distribution of Aphelocoma coerulescens.jpg }} The Florida scrub jay (''Aphelocoma coerulescens'') is one of the species of scrub jay native to North America. It is the only species of bird endemic to the U.S. state of Florida and one of only 15 species endemic to the continental United States.〔(All-American Birds – National Wildlife Federation ). Nwf.org. Retrieved on 2013-03-23.〕 Because of this, it is heavily sought by birders who travel from across the country to observe this unique species. It is known to have been present in Florida as a distinct species for at least 2 million years, and is possibly derived from the ancestors of Woodhouse's scrub jay, the inland forms of the western scrub jay. It measures in length, and weighs from , with an average . The wingspan of the jay is .〔(Florida Scrub-Jay, Life History, All About Birds – Cornell Lab of Ornithology ). Allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved on 2013-03-23.〕〔''CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses'', John B. Dunning, Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), ISBN 978-0-8493-4258-5.〕 It has a strong black bill, blue head and nape without a crest, a whitish forehead and supercilium, blue bib, blue wings, grayish underparts, gray back, long blue tail, black legs and feet. ==Ecology== The Florida scrub jay is found only in Florida scrub habitat, an ecosystem that exists only in central Florida and is characterized by nutrient-poor soil, occasional drought, and frequent wildfires. Because of its somewhat harsh weather pattern, this habitat is host to a small assortment of very specific plants, including sand pine, sand live oak, myrtle oak, Chapman's oak, sandhill oak, Florida rosemary and various other hardy plants such as Eastern prickly pear. Florida scrub jays are omnivorous and eat a wide variety of acorns, seeds, peanuts, insects, tree frogs, turtles, snakes, lizards, and young mice. Florida scrub jays have also been occasionally observed to eat other birds' eggs or nestlings, but this occurs rarely.〔(Taxonomy, Species Jay, Scrub, Florida ). fwie.fw.vt.edu〕 They routinely cache thousands of acorns a year, burying them just beneath the surface. The acorns are typically buried in the fall and consumed during the winter and spring. Acorns that are forgotten or missed may germinate, making the Florida scrub jay an effective agent for the dispersal of a variety of oak trees. Scrub jays may also take silverware and other shiny objects in a manner similar to the American crow. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Florida scrub jay」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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