Steller’s Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) irruptions in the Yukon: Analysis of citizen science data, exploration of drivers, and implications of continued persistence
This project was conducted by Anthony Francis, a 4th-year student in the B.Sc. in Northern Environmental and Conservation Sciences program at Yukon University/University of Alberta.
Observations of “invasions” of Steller’s Jays (SJ; Cyanocitta stelleri) have been recorded in citizen science projects since 1994 in the Southern Yukon, with occasional one-off observations occurring since 1989. There has been a marked increase in SJ sightings since 2020, which could be a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic causing an increased interest in birds and citizen science platforms. The reasons behind the invasion are unclear, but they could be a combination of factors, including food shortage in the birds’ normal range, dispersing juveniles, and increased interest in bird watching. The objectives of this study were to compile citizen science records of SJ in the Yukon, investigate the potential drivers of the apparent irruptions, and determine how their presence would affect Yukon species. SJ have persisted in the Yukon throughout most of the spring and summer of 2021, which could suggest an inclination towards remaining in the Yukon. Continued persistence of SJ could impact native species through competition and predation.
(photo credit: Alan D. Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
Supervisor: Dr. Kathryn Aitken, School of Science, Yukon University and Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Co-supervisor.
For more information, contact Dr. Aitken at kaitken@yukonu.ca.