Laura Erickson's For the Birds

The Florida Scrub-Jay exemplifies the best of what many human societies call family values. Young birds stay with their parents a year or more, helping them raise their younger broods. And there is absolutely no evidence of any young fathered by a male other than the mother’s mate. They often approach people and other large invaders on their territory, as much out of curiosity as anything.

This is the #600 species on both my Life List and my ABA Continental Life List (all the birds I’ve seen in the Lower 48, Alaska, and Canada).