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Pinyon Jay Data Collection: Call to Action

By Ned Bohman

In April 2022, the Pinyon Jay was petitioned to be listed as a Federally Endangered Species. Current trends are putting the pressure on us to figure out how to help before it’s too late. Climate change, livestock grazing, wildfire, and habitat management actions are all threatening Pinyon Jays. Because the problem is so large, and the birds use such large areas-and in different ways throughout their range; GBBO has been unable to untangle the problem on our own. With funds raised through the Nevada Bird-a-thon, GBBO has rolled out a Pinyon Jay community science initiative. This program is targeted at engaging and empowering the community to help GBBO collect the information that will guide land managers to act on Pinyon Jay conservation.  We need your help!

Community science is a hugely important yet easy way to take action and get involved. Climate change is impacting the landscape around us in tangible ways, and this can be overwhelming at times. By contributing records to this database you can guide conservation efforts in the right direction. Your input is incredibly valuable for linking Pinyon Jay behavior with habitat use and thus preserving that habitat for Pinyon Jays and other songbirds. Documenting the effects of this is not only important, but can be as simple as submitting a Pinyon Jay record with an app on your phone. Next time you are driving over Mountain Springs pass, stop in the Pinyon Juniper woodland and take 20 minutes to submit a record. Anywhere there are Pinyon and Juniper trees is viable habitat and likely used by Pinyon Jays at some point in the year. On your way to Zion or the Grand Canyon, you pass through huge swaths of Pinyon Jay habitat. Your contributions are more valuable than you know, and are an easy way to take action in a climate that seems to be changing faster than we can keep up. Click here to learn how to get involved!