Steller's Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
Summary 3
The Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a large bird with a distinct crested black head and blue body, wings and tail. Males and females are similar in appearance.
Steller's Jays are masters of mimicry and make a wide variety of songs and calls. To hear examples of their calls go here: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Stellers_Jay/sounds
Similar SpeciesScrub Jays have no crest and have a lot more gray on their bodies.
Where on Campus? 4
Steller's Jays can be found in the vegetation around the creeks, especially around parking lot 8 and parking lots 2/3.
Habitat 4
Steller's Jays can be found in chaparral, oak woodlands, redwood forests as well as in parks and backyards.
Life History 4
Nesting Both sexes participate in nest building and the nests are usually built in conifers using a variety of plant materials such as twigs, moss and grass as well as mud.
Feeding Steller's Jays eat insects, birds eggs and nestlings, small mammals and reptiles, seeds, acorns and many types of berries and fruits. They also steal food from other birds, including other jays and the Acorn Woodpeckers. They also cache food for later and have been documented as having excellent spatial memory.
Distribution 4
Western North America (from southern Alaska, British Columbia, western Wyoming, and western Colorado and New Mexico west) south through the highlands of Central America to Nicaragua.
Migration 4
Steller's Jays are residents
Sources and Credits
- (c) Kai Schreiber, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/50457550@N00/177140208
- (c) Walter Siegmund, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Cyanocitta_stelleri_08841.JPG
- Adapted by gillian360 from a work by (c) Leo Shapiro, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/18624479
- (c) gillian360, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
