Associated Species: Other species that may use similar habitat components or respond positively to management for the Pinyon Jay are: Hairy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Flicker, Cassin’s Kingbird, Mountain Chickadee, Clark’s Nutcracker (foraging).

Distribution: Range of the Pinyon Jay is tied primarily to the distribution of pinyon-juniper woodlands of the Southwest and Intermountain regions of the United States. They breed as far north as central Montana and south to Baja California (Balda and Bateman 1971, Ligon 1978, Marzluff and Balda 1992). In Arizona, Pinyon Jays are permanent residents of pinyon-juniper woodlands and lower ponderosa pine forests in the northern and central part of the state (Balda and Bateman 1971), ranging east to Natanes Plateau, west to the Hualapai Indian Reservation, south possibly to Prescott area, and north to Mount Trumbull (Phillips and others 1964). Pinyon Jays are nonmigratory but may exhibit irregular nomadic movements of hundreds of miles outside normal range during fall and winter when pine seed crops are poor (Balda and Bateman 1971, Phillips and others 1964, Westcott 1964).

Ecology: Pinyon Jays are very early nesters, initiating egg-laying as early as February. Typically, they nest in pinyon-juniper woodlands but will also nest in ponderosa pine forests (approx. 2135 m (7000 ft), Balda and Bateman 1971, Marzluff and Balda 1992). Large flocks (up to 250 individuals) nest communally in traditional breeding areas. Courtship begins in November and pairs form in January-February. Pair bonds are long-term and mates interact throughout the year (Balda and Bateman 1971). Highly synchronous flock nest building begins late February to mid-March. Females incubate, but both parents feed nestlings. Older fledglings are fed by parents and helpers. Young attain independence at 16 weeks. Pairs will renest up to five times in a breeding season if earlier nesting attempts fail (Marzluff and Balda 1992). Most birds breed at age two and have an average lifespan of five years (Marzluff and Balda 1992).

Breeding is apparently triggered by abundant pinyon pine seeds which are harvested in fall and early winter and cached in breeding areas for use during late winter and early spring. Pinyon pine seeds provide the primary source of reproductive energy for nesting Pinyon Jays (Balda and Bateman 1971, Marzluff and Balda 1992). In years following poor pinyon production, breeding is delayed until April or May when other foods, primarily insects, become common (Ligon 1971). Pinyon Jays will also feed on ponderosa pine seed, fruits, eggs, nestlings, lizards. They feed on the ground, in foliage and hawk for insects (Balda and Bateman 1971).

The Pinyon Jay is a gregarious and highly socialized species. Large, highly integrated flocks are maintained year-round and use well-defined home ranges during most years. During poor seed crop years, individuals and flocks have been observed in southern Arizona as well as at treeline in northern Arizona harvesting limber pine seed (Phillips and others 1964, Westcott 1964, Balda and Bateman 1971). Largest flocks (100s to over 1000 birds) (Bent 1964) seen in late summer and winter.

Habitat Requirements: Food availability seems to be the most important factor determining colony breeding site selection (Gabaldon 1979). Open cup nests (usually one nest/tree) are placed in ponderosa pine, pinyon pine, Gambel’s oak, juniper, and occasionally blue spruce trees. Nests are typically 1-8 m (3-26 ft) high and tend to be south-facing (Gabaldon 1979, Marzluff and Balda 1992). Gabaldon (1979) found nest trees were taller and had higher foliage density than surrounding trees. Gabaldon (1979) also found jays avoided trees with abundant pine cones, perhaps because these might attract predators. Many nests were located along roads and Gabaldon (1979) found these nests to have higher reproductive success. Balda and Bateman (1971) studied a well defined flock of about 250 birds which maintained a 21 km² (8 mi²) home range which included ponderosa pine forest, pinyon-juniper woodland and grassland. This flock used a traditional nesting area of about 95 ha (230 ac) (Balda and Bateman 1971).

Communal seed caching areas are discrete and located within a flock’s home range. Generally, cache sites are sparsely vegetated, have good drainage and a southern exposure. Thus, these areas are snow-free or first to melt. Birds also tend to cache seeds close to tree trunks where less snow accumulates. Not only do these sites allow for easy retrieval of cached seeds during the early nesting season, but they also provide good conditions for seed germination. Many cached seeds are not consumed and germinate (Ligon 1971). Balda (1987:525) described the relationship between the pinyon jay and pinyon pines as "...one of the best coevolved, mutualistic plant-vertebrate examples known...".

According to Breeding Bird Survey data, Arizona had the highest average statewide density for the Pinyon Jay from 1965-1979 (Robbins and others 1986). However, analyses of these data did not reveal any significant trends for this species. Balda and Marzluff’s (1992) data for an intensively studied pinyon jay population in Flagstaff, from 1972-1986, indicated a declining population.

Three major factors, which vary annually, affect the long-term success of Pinyon Jay populations: size of pinyon pine crops, amount of nest predation, and harshness of the physical environment, particularly the amount of snow during the nesting season (Marzluff and Balda 1992). Although we have no control over the latter, the first two factors can be influenced by human activities. Primary management concerns related to these include: 1) habitat loss due to urbanization, as documented in the Flagstaff vicinity (Marzluff and Balda 1992), as well as to management of pinyon-juniper woodlands (e.g. chaining, burning) and potential habitat loss from Ips beetle invasion of stressed pinyon trees, 2) abundance of mature pinyon pine trees which provide the primary source of food for breeding pinyon jays and which can also be affected by land management practices, and 3) increasing numbers of American Crows and Common Ravens (important nest predators) in Pinyon Jay breeding areas near urban areas (also documented in the Flagstaff area) (Marzluff and Balda 1992).

Pinyon Jay management issues are listed in italics. Below each issue are the Arizona Partners in Flight Conservation Recommendations.

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