Pinyon Jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) have experienced steep long term population declines across their range, yet no quantitative habitat study has been conducted in Oregon, the northwestern extent of the species’ distribution. To address this gap, we quantified breeding season habitat associations of Pinyon Jays in central Oregon using a combination of cellular GPS telemetry and area search surveys. Resource selection functions revealed strong hierarchical consistency across spatial scales. At both the population and home range levels, Pinyon Jays selected heterogeneous landscapes characterized by open canopy ponderosa pine or juniper woodlands, moderate sagebrush and perennial cover, abundant bare ground, and low invasive annual grass cover. Pinyon Jays also consistently selected areas closer to woodland–shrubland ecotones, indicating a preference for “soft edge” habitat. These patterns suggest that mosaics of fire resilient open woodlands and healthy shrublands represent limiting resources in central Oregon. The cumulative distance and abundance analyses further demonstrated that Pinyon Jays select for home ranges where key habitat components occurred in proximity and at higher relative abundance. The Oregon specific MaxEnt SDM performed well (ROC = 0.825; AUC = 0.806) and should act as a regional replacement for range-wide habitat models that generalize across multiple ecoregions. These findings provide the first quantitative assessment of Pinyon Jay breeding habitat in Oregon and offer actionable guidance for land managers. Specifically, results highlight where conifer removal or fuels reduction treatments may conflict with Pinyon Jay conservation, and where treatments may proceed with lower risk. Given ongoing population declines and pending ESA review, understanding and protecting the limited mosaics of suitable habitat in central Oregon is critical for sustaining regional Pinyon Jay populations.
