Long-term declines in the pinyon jay and management implications for piñon–juniper woodlands in: Trends and traditions: Avifaunal change in western North America (W. D. Shuford, R. E. Gill Jr., and C. M. Handel, eds.)

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Abstract:

The Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) is closely associated with piñon–juniper
woodlands in the Intermountain West and Southwest regions of the United States. It is
of conservation concern, given it is one of the landbirds declining the fastest and most persistently
in these regions, at an average rate of –3.6% from 1968 to 2015, according to the
Breeding Bird Survey. Despite the population’s falling by >50% over this period, the Pinyon
Jay has not been widely studied, and little is known about the factors responsible for its diminishing
numbers. Although the Pinyon Jay’s rate of decline exceeds that of the Greater Sage-
Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)—a species targeted for significant conservation efforts—no
comprehensive effort designed to benefit this jay has been implemented. Current management
in Great Basin piñon–juniper woodlands includes removal of trees to create or protect shrublands
for the benefit of sage-grouse and other sagebrush-associated wildlife, and southwestern
piñon–juniper woodlands are being thinned for fuels reduction or management of other wildlife.
The effect of these treatments on the Pinyon Jay and other piñon–juniper birds, however,
has been little studied. Thus further research is needed to clarify the causes of the jay’s decline,
develop habitat models for this and other piñon–juniper species, and devise approaches for
management of piñon–juniper woodland that balance the interests of the Pinyon Jay and other
species of concern, including the Greater Sage-Grouse.

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ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology: Birds

Suggested citation:
Boone, J. D., Ammon, E., and Johnson, K. 2018. Long-term declines in the Pinyon Jay and management implications for piñon–juniper woodlands, in Trends and traditions: Avifaunal change in western North America (W. D. Shuford, R. E. Gill Jr., and C. M. Handel, eds.), pp. 190–197. Studies of Western Birds 3. Western Field Ornithologists, Camarillo, CA; doi 10.21199/SWB3.10.