Northern CA PPSR Projects 1

Behavior and Ecology of Steller's Jays

• Organization Name

  Humbolt State University
• Project Website

  http://www2.humboldt.edu/wildlife/faculty/black/research/stellersjays.html
• Organization Website

  http://www.humboldt.edu/wildlife/faculty/black
• Partners

  N / A
• Contact Name

  Jeff Black, PhD, DSc
• Contact Email

  Jeff.Black@humboldt.edu
• Contact Phone

  (707)826-3439
• Other Contact Information

  N / A
• Project Purpose (taken from project materials)

  To investigate mechanisms behind the complex social system and ecological relationships that drive the distribution and dynamics of the local jay population. Jays are wonderful focal animals because they are conspicuous, and travel in pairs and family groups, allowing students to practice monitoring skills. 

• Participant Activities

  Participants - primarily HSU students - record the location and behavior of individually marked jays. Jays in the HSU population live here all year around, allowing researchers to establish a very detailed investigation. Birds have been fitted with color bands enabling tracking individuals across habitats and through lifetimes.

  The data to included for each record includes:

  • Bird’s color code
  • Size of social group seen at the same time
  • Associates’ color codes (or if unbanded = UNB; or not determined = NOTD)
  • Number of times associates came within 3 meters of each other
  • Approximate time spent within 3 meter distance (e.g. 2 seconds, 15 sec, etc.)
  • Total time you watched the birds (e.g. 5 minutes, 10 min, etc.)
  • Time of day; start of observation (e.g. 1935)
  • Date (e.g. 9.30.99)
  • Location of observation (e.g. Rewood Bowl SW corner west bleachers. And state whether the bird was seen at a birdfeeder or in trees, etc)
  • Comments (e.g. deformed leg, feather tuft on back, etc.)

   

• Data Entry

  • Data Sheets
  • Unknown
• Other Participant Activities

  N / A
• System Studied

  • Birds
• Geographic Scope

  Local
• Region

  Humboldt
• Location

  Near Humbolt State University, from Diamond Drive (north of campus) to Fickle Hill Road (south of campus).
• Location - Map

  1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521
• Time Commitment

  • Unknown
• Volunteer Qualifications

  HSU students are main participants of the project. In particular, participation is encouraged from students in Wildlife Techniques 311, and Wildlife Ethology 475.

  Contact project leader if you are not a student and would like to participate.

• Volunteer Training

  Project is associated with undergraduate classes in wildlife techniques and ethology at Humbolt State University.

• Cost to Participant

  N / A
• How will the findings be used?

  Papers published from project data are posted on the project website.

• Other Information

  N / A
• Photo

  N / A
• last update:

  8/28/12