Western Scrub-Jay

Aphelocoma californica

Also known as:California Jay, Long-tailed Jay

Explore this bird

Identification

29 cm (11-12") Common. Western United States, Scrub oak, chaparral, pinyon-juniper, some suburbs.

Blue head with no crest. Blue wings and a long blue tail. Brownish olive-gray back. White throat bordered by a blue-gray streaked necklace band.

In flight; undulating.

Song: varied including a rasping "shreeep".

Details in the field

1 photo

Credit: Rick Derevan

Watch and learn

1 video

Birds Hold Funerals For Dead

Credit: hotpotnow

Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 1 rule

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

1 rule

Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 5

Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: No · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Olive (yellowish-green) · Blue · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: Blue · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?: Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?: Blue · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?: Blue · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Robin-sized · Pigeon-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:897-western-scrub-jay:1:1 Source: 897 Western Scrub-Jay, row 1