The Island Scrub Jay is endemic to one island (Santa Cruz) off the coast of California. Although they are very similar to the California Scrub Jay, they have been isolated for long enough (over 10k years) that they have adapted to have some morphologic differences and they don't cross the ocean to mingle with the mainland birds. The small population (estimated at 1700 to 2300) makes this one of the most rare song birds in North America. That being said they are not hard to find on this relatively small island just off the coast of one of the most densely populated places in the US. I was able to find this one within an hour of the ferry landing.
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