scrub jay

noun

: either of two crestless jays (Aphelocoma californica of the western U.S. and Mexico and A. coerulescens of Florida) typically of scrub or chaparral that have a blue head, tail, and wings and a brownish back

Examples of scrub jay in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Thanks to the foresight of conservationists, that’s not the case here at Duette, where endangered habitats and animals, like the Florida scrub jay and its synonymous Florida scrub, are actually rebounding. Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 Among the likely birds in Sacramento: house finch, mourning dove, crow, cedar waxwing, scrub jay, mockingbird, sparrow, goldfinch, junco and woodpecker. Debbie Arrington, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 For example, the island scrub jay is larger than jays on the mainland, likely because of an abundance of food and the absence of predators. Robert Annis, Travel + Leisure, 8 Oct. 2023 Instead, nature is found in the quiet moments: the blue scrub jay flitting from leaf to leaf outside your kitchen window; the water that makes up most of our bodies and responds to the lunar pull; the breath of air filling your lungs that was once rain. Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2022 It’s believed that the bird species that feed on the various seeds — in the case of the pinyon pine, the California scrub jay is a big seed-spreader — had not returned to the areas for one reason or another. Mike Wehner, BGR, 14 Apr. 2021 This area of Jonathan Dickinson State Park is important for the recovery of the most endangered bird in North America — the Florida scrub jay. Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 9 Sep. 2022 Keep an eye out for the island fox, which is found only on six of the eight Channel Islands, and the island scrub jay, found only on Santa Cruz Island. Rachel Schnalzer, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2022 For something less traveled, stroll the 4.5-mile Scorpion Canyon Loop, which serves as prime habitat for the bright blue island scrub jay, a species endemic to Santa Cruz. Shawnté Salabert, Outside Online, 23 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scrub jay.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scrub jay was in 1923

Dictionary Entries Near scrub jay

Cite this Entry

“Scrub jay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrub%20jay. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on scrub jay

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!