Western Scrub-Jay

Aphelocoma californicaOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Crows and Jays (Corvidae)

Breeding Location:

Forest edge, Bushes, shrubs, and thickets, Mountains, Scrub vegetation areas

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Fairly common to common

Egg Color:

Green or gray with brown, red brown or olive spots

Number of Eggs:

2 - 7

Incubation Days:

15 - 17

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Twigs, grass, and moss, lined with finer rootlets and animal hair.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

Overview

Western Scrub-Jay: Medium, crestless jay, blue head, wings, tail, gray mask, back, pale gray underparts. Dark-streaked, white throat bordered by dark necklace. Bill, legs, feet are black. Eats grains, fruits, insects, frogs, lizards and eggs and young of other birds. Flies with steady wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Western Scrub-Jay: Resident from Washington, Wyoming, and Colorado south to Texas and Mexico. Preferred habitats include scrub oak, woodlands, and chaparral. Also inhabits suburban gardens.

Breeding and Nesting

Western Scrub-Jay: Two to seven light gray or green eggs spotted with brown, red brown, or olive, are laid in a twiggy nest well hidden in a tree or dense shrub. Incubation ranges from 15 to 17 days and is carried out by the female. Male feeds female during incubation.

Foraging and Feeding

Western Scrub-Jay: Diet consists of insects, grains, small lizards, frogs, fruits, and eggs and young of other birds; forages in trees and on the ground.

Readily Eats

Cracked Corn, Suet, Sunflower Seed

Vocalization

Western Scrub-Jay: Call is a loud, throaty "jay" or "jree." In flight, a long series of "check-check-check" notes are emitted.

Similar Species

Western Scrub-Jay: Mexican Jay has uniform underparts lacking the white throat and dark collar. Pinyon Jay has blue underparts and shorter tail.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Western Scrub-Jay

● Song: "jay", "jree", "check-check-check"

● Foraging & Feeding: Western Scrub-Jay: Diet consists of insects, grains, small lizards, frogs, fruits, and eggs and young of other birds; forages in trees and on the ground.

● Breeding & nesting: Western Scrub-Jay: Two to seven light gray or green eggs spotted with brown, red brown, or olive, are laid in a twiggy nest well hidden in a tree or dense shrub. Incubation ranges from 15 to 17 days and is carried out by the female. Male feeds female during incubation.

● Similar species: Western Scrub-Jay: Mexican Jay has uniform underparts lacking the white throat and dark collar. Pinyon Jay has blue underparts and shorter tail.

Flight Pattern

Steady buoyant wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Western Scrub-Jay: Resident from Washington, Wyoming, and Colorado south to Texas and Mexico. Preferred habitats include scrub oak, woodlands, and chaparral. Also inhabits suburban gardens.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationFairly common to common

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight2.8 Ounces

Field Guide to Birds of North America