General

Brown Jay: Large, crestless jay with dark brown upperparts and paler brown underparts grading toward white under white-tipped tail. Head is darker brown with thick, black bill. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has yellow bill.

Range and Habitat

Brown Jay: Rare resident in extreme southern Texas; also found in the tropics. Preferred habitats include dense streamside woodlands and thickets.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

" jay! jay! jay!", "kyeeeah, kyeeeah, kyeeeah", "mew mew mew"

Interesting Facts

 The Brown Jay is the largest North American jay.

 They vary in plumage geographically: there are two main groups. Northern birds are almost completely dark brown, with lighter brown  underparts. Southern birds are white-bellied and have white tips on the outer tailfeathers.

 They seem to be more abundant today than in the past. The extensive tropical forests of Mexico and Central America, which they avoid, have largely been cleared and replaced by farms, plantations and various second-growth habitats in which this bird thrives.

 A group of jays has many collective nouns, including a "band", "cast", "party", and "scold" of jays.

Author

Gary Owen Dick