Resources
Pinyon Jay Working Group
Western Working Group
The Pinyon Jay Working Group (PJWG) was formed in 2017 with a goal of bringing together Pinyon Jay experts to discuss conservation needs of the species. The small initial group slowly expanded into a large, diverse partnership (35+ partners) whose goal was to develop a range wide conservation strategy for the species. PJWG partners are concerned by the significant long-term population declines of the species, which are among the steepest declines of any bird in North America. Data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) suggest that Pinyon Jay numbers have decreased survey-wide by 3.69% per year from 1967-2015, with an overall population loss of approximately 83.5%. Pinyon Jay populations are predicted to be reduced by an additional 50% from 2016 to 2035 (the so-called population “half-life”). Partners in Flight (PIF) identifies Pinyon Jay as a yellow Watch List species with a goal of reversing population declines. PIF criteria for inclusion as a yellow Watch List species is due to population declines and threats to habitats on breeding and nonbreeding grounds. Pinyon Jay has been identified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in State Wildlife Action Plans in most states across its range.
The Pinyon Jay is understudied and poorly known in most areas of its range. The PJWG aims to increase our limited knowledge of the species, their habitat use and requirements across their range, and identify causes of population declines. The PJWG recognizes the challenges of working with a flocking species that uses a large landscape (8,000-15,000 acres) and a wide variety of piñon-juniper and other pine-dominated woodlands and structures to meet their daily and annual requirements. Despite the challenges, the PJWG believes it can fill key information gaps about the species and develop habitat management recommendations that can reduce, minimize or mitigate negative impacts on the jay while working in concert with other management and conservation objectives.
Objectives
The PJWG strives to coordinate and collaborate among partners to address key information needs for the species across its range, including assessing habitat use and requirements, causes of population declines, and the impact of habitat management on the species. A long-term goal is to develop geographic specific habitat management recommendations designed to ideally benefit the species.
Mission
The mission of the PJWG is to develop and share the best available science to better understand, conserve, and manage Pinyon Jays and their habitat.
Members
The Pinyon Jay Working Group consists of a diverse partnership of federal, state, and non-governmental organizations including: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Department of Defense, Arizona Game and Fish Department, New Mexico Game and Fish Department, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Nevada Division of Wildlife, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, University of New Mexico, Great Basin Bird Observatory, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Intermountain Bird Observatory, National Audubon Society, among others.
Contacts: Pinyon Jay Working Group Steering Committee and Others (scroll down below)
Download Files
Conservation Strategy for the Pinyon Jay
Developed and published by the Pinyon Jay Working Group
Protocols for conducting large-scale surveys
These protocols are designed to collect standardized data at large scales to inform questions about occurrence and distribution, locating nesting colonies, assessing behavior specific habitat use, and leading to monitoring and impact assessments.
Survey Protocol for Landscape Applications (PJWG Survey Protocol)
Protocol developed and published by the Pinyon Jay Working Group
The Survey Protocol describes how to collect standardized Pinyon Jay data for larger-scale applications that require a sampling approach. The protocol can be used to quantify distribution and occurrence, identify potential nesting colonies, and aid in the collection of behavioral data. The PJWG Survey protocol involves an area search within a pre-determined 2.5 x 2.5 km grid.
Pinyon Jay Survey Protocol for Landscape Applications_V2.1 (PJWG Survey Protocol)
Resources for PJWG Survey Protocols
These items provide supporting material for conducting PJWG survey protocols, including the use of ArcGIS Field Maps for data collection.
- Field Maps Configuration Guide
- Field Maps User Guide
- Pinyon Jay FGDB Landscape Geodatabase (zip)
- Grid Shapefile for Colorado (zip)
- Read Me for Other State Grid Shapefiles
- Recorded presentation on the development and application of the PJWG Protocols
Road-based survey protocol for Pinyon Jays
Protocol development was led by Kristine Johnson with collaborators in New Mexico
The road-based survey is a useful method of surveying Pinyon Jays under certain circumstances and can be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to the PJWG Survey Protocol. The road-based protocol has significant commonalities with the PJWG Survey Protocols but involves a 6-minute point count survey approximately every 1 km within a pre-determined 5 x 5 km grid. The road-based survey protocol is tailored to situations that warrant a road-based methodology, for example desiring to conduct a cursory survey of large areas quickly or limited or no access off roads, e.g., areas inaccessible due to terrain or military restrictions.
A Survey Protocol for Pinyon Jay Road-based Point Count Surveys
Protocols for conducting small-scale surveys and project-level assessments
Project level protocols are designed to inform pinyon jay presence within smaller areas, e.g., management project areas, and are designed to locate nesting colonies. Information collected during surveys can help inform avoidance of breeding areas, alteration in management objectives, and conservation planning.
Arizona Pinyon Jay Project-Level Protocol
Protocol developed by Arizona Game and Fish Department and Great Basin Bird Observatory
The Arizona Pinyon Jay Project-Level Protocol is designed to provide managers with a flexible, standardized tool to document whether Pinyon Jays are present or absent in their specific project area with a known confidence level. The protocol, which is applicable range-wide, allows users to determine the presence or absence at any time of year, including the breeding season, and to determine the general location of breeding colonies if desired. This protocol is designed to be highly compatible with the Pinyon Jay Working Group’s Pinyon Jay Survey Protocols for Landscape Applications (PJWG Survey Protocol), both in terms of field survey methods and the types of data that are collected.
Arizona Project-Level Protocol for Pinyon Jay Colony Clearance and Discovery Surveys
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Protocol
Protocol developed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife protocol is targeted at finding Pinyon Jay breeding colonies and applies specific survey techniques developed for Colorado. The protocol was designed to help land managers identify breeding colonies to assist with project design when planning woodland treatments in pinyon-juniper habitats. Pinyon Jays have high site fidelity to breeding colonies and therefore, identifying, protecting, and managing these colonies may be one important step towards understanding and conserving Pinyon Jays.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife Colony Identification Protocol 2024
Contact Amy Seglund at CPW for training on the use of the survey protocol and identifying breeding behaviors. CPW also provides Survey 123 and Field Map applications for surveys. Amy.seglund@state.co.us
Additional Guidance and Information
These items provide additional information about conducting field surveys and avoiding impacts to Pinyon Jays.
- Guidance for Locating Pinyon Jay Nests and Confirming Breeding
- Recommendations for Avoiding Pinyon Jay Impacts in Nevada
- Guidelines to Minimize Impacts of Data-Gathering Activities on Pinyon Jays
- Great Basin Bird Observatory led Community Science Project
Contacts – Pinyon Jay Working Group Steering Committee
| Scott Somershoe (Chair) Land Bird Coordinator Migratory Bird Program, Region 6 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lakewood, Colorado scott_somershoe@fws.gov |
Corrie Borgman Migratory Bird Biologist Division of Migratory Birds, Region 2 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Albuquerque, NM corrie_borgman@fws.gov |
|
Renee Chi (Co-chair) |
Erin Duvuvuei Nongame Avian Biologist New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Santa Fe, New Mexico Erin.Duvuvuei@dgf.nm.gov |
| Amy Seglund (Co-chair) Species Conservation Coordinator Colorado Parks and Wildlife Montrose, Colorado amy.seglund@state.co.us |
Edwin Juarez |
| Elisabeth Ammon Executive Director, Great Basin Bird Observatory Reno, Nevada ammon@gbbo.org |
Russell Norvell Avian Conservation Program Coordinator Utah Division of Wildlife Resources russellnorvell@utah.gov |
|
John Boone |
Becky Kirby Regional Wildlife Ecologist U.S. Forest Service, Southwestern Region Albuquerque, New Mexico Rebecca.kirby@usda.gov |
Additional Contacts
| Allison Begley Avian Conservation Biologist Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Helena, Montana abegley@mt.gov |
Jess Brooks Diversity Staff Specialist, Wildlife Diversity Nevada Department of Wildlife Reno, Nevada jdbrooks@ndow.org |
| Kris Johnson Senior Research Scientist Animas Biological Studies Durango CO krisjohns@gmail.com |
Shannon Skalos |
| Emily VanWyk Acting Conservation Strategy Coordinator Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Salem, Oregon Emily.J.VANWYK@odfw.oregon.gov |
Zach Wallace |
| Lyn Snoddy Regional Wildlife Diversity Biologist Idaho Department of Fish and Game Jerome, ID lyn.snoddy@idfg.idaho.gov |