In this webinar, GBBO biologist, Kelly Colegrove, will talk about the interaction between the Pinyon Jay and pinyon pine cones. The Pinyon Jay is extremely well-adapted to capitalize on the unique ecology of the pinyon pine cone. Kelly will detail this relationship and update viewers on an opportunity to help researchers learn more about it.

GBBO has been coordinating a Pinyon Jay citizen science program since 2021, this program has produced a globally accessible database with over 4,000 observations of Pinyon Jays from 9 states. In 2022, we introduced a protocol to inventory the productivity of pinyon pines with the intent to understand Pinyon Jay distribution related to productive stands of Pinyon Pine.

Kelly will give an update on this, and how you can participate. With a better understanding of the distribution of productive stands of pinyon pine, researchers will be better able to introduce conservation measures for the Pinyon Jay. By learning about the productivity of pinyon pine in as many regions as possible, researchers can develop a deeper understanding of its importance to Pinyon Jays.

Pinyon Jay with pinyon pine cone by Alex Harper