A group of high school and college students came to Tallahassee to advocate for their favorite bird and came away with a win. Members of the Wildlife Conservation Club at Seminole High School urged a Senate committee recently to make the Florida Scrub-Jay the state bird. And the committee’s vote was unanimous.
The students call themselves the Scrub Club. They were inspired by their teacher, Kris Cole, who encouraged them to learn how to make change via the political process.
“They drove 4 1/2 hours this morning to engage in the process, and they’ve got another 4 1/2 hours home today, so we’re in great hands with them," Cole said.
The debate over Florida’s state bird has been going on for decades. The current bird is the mockingbird -- as it is for Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Arkansas. Backers of the Florida Scrub-Jay point out that it’s endemic to the state, lives its entire life here, and is smart and friendly. The flamingo has its adherents as well.
Miami Republican Senator Ileana Garcia is sponsoring a bill that would make the flamingo the state bird and the Florida Scrub-Jay the state song-bird.
“In supporting the scrub-jay as the state’s official songbird, I also want to address our appreciation for the American flamingo to become the state bird, given its long history, vibrant appearance, and how it is native to our great state,” said Olyvia Collins.
Collins, an alumna of Seminole High and the Scrub Club, is now a sophomore at Florida State University.
“Recognizing both birds allows us to celebrate Florida’s diverse wildlife while honoring different aspects of its identity,” Collins said.
Seminole High’s Abigail Tiffany says the birds are tied to the state’s economy.
“Most know that a bunch of Florida’s GDP comes from our tourist attractions, such as Disney and Universal," she said. "To put it into perspective, Disney and Universal combined make -- at larger estimates -- around $66 billion a year. But compare that to birding, which makes $107 billion a year.”
The Scrub Club has been effective. In 2022, they convinced the Seminole County Commission to make the scrub-jay the official bird of Seminole County. They’ve gotten other high school government associations involved. They’ve even taken Sanford Republican Senator Jason Brodeur -- who sits on the committee hearing the bill -- to Lyonia State Preserve to see the scrub-jays.
In fact, Brodeur said, a scrub-jay landed on his arm.
“Yeah, been to the club, gone out to the facility," he said. "You guys can check my Instagram for a scrub-jay landing on my arm at the park.”
Scrub-Jays really are friendly. They’re also listed as threatened under the Federal Endangered Species Act, which means the species may face extinction in the near future if its habitat continues to be destroyed. They’re also protected by Florida’s Endangered and Threatened Species Act and by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
“While it may seem not so consequential to some of the major things that we do here, it does matter to a lot of people," said Boca Raton Democratic Senator Tina Polsky. "And it matters about in the environment and it matters about nature and it matters to our students. And they care about it, so we should, too.”
Polsky has repeatedly filed bills to make the scrub-jay the state bird, but she told the students she was happy to honor the flamingo as well.
"I don’t think we would have done it if not for the advocacy of all of you," she said. "So, I appreciate that. And it’s kind of been going on a long time. So, let’s pass this bill and put this to bed, and we can move on to everything else that we need to do.”
Efforts to make the Scrub-Jay Florida’s state bird have been on-going since the 90s but have historically met a powerful foe in former National Rifle Association President Marion Hammer. In a Palm Beach Post column, she called Florida Scrub-Jays “evil little birds that rob the nests of other birds and eat their eggs and kill their babies.”
