The pinyon jay, a gregarious and iconic western bird, is plummeting in number and needs the protection of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to dodge extinction. Medium-size and pale blue except for the white bib on the throat, chin and upper breast, these crestless jays are social birds that fly, forage and nest together from central Oregon across to western South Dakota and central Montana down to southern New Mexico. They are an obligate species, which means their survival depends on a particular habitat, in this case healthy pinyon-juniper woodlands, where they feed on pinyon pine seeds—their primary food source—and juniper berries. Pinyon pines are mutually dependent on pinyon jays, relying on them to distribute their seeds across the landscape.
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