Webinar | Pinyon Jay Community Scientist Workshop

Pinyon Jays & Community Scientists – You!

Become a Community Scientist and help Pinyon Jays thrive for future generations. Join us for a webinar on Pinyon Jay natural history and community science--help out with your smart phone! Zoom link provided upon registration.

Because Pinyon Jays use large territories and move seasonally according to food availability, citizen observations are crucial. Volunteers help detect their presence in places and years where formal surveys might not reach.

You can contribute by recording sightings on your smartphone using a free app. No birding or survey experience is needed.

Date: Wednesday October 8, 2025

Time: 6pm

Location: Zoom. A link will be provided upon registration.

Other Pinyon Jay events

You see a flash of blue. Is it a Stellar Jay? A Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay? No — it’s a Pinyon Jay.

This brilliant blue bird can be found across the West, including northern Arizona, living in pinyon-juniper woodlands. Unfortunately, over the past five decades, the Pinyon Jay has seen its population decline by 83.5%.

This steep decline has led to the Pinyon Jay being listed as Vulnerable and currently under review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for potential protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The reasons for this decline are not fully understood, but it is likely linked to long-term drought, increasing temperatures, and other climatic shifts affecting pinyon trees. Research suggests these changes are causing pinyon pines to produce fewer nuts. Pinyon Jays appear to be ranging further from historic colony sites and may be relying more heavily on alternative food sources, such as juniper berries and insects.