— Living and learning is a well-known adage that often pops into my routine. That was the case when I was researching about Corvids. I had a vague idea of some of the birds that are in the Corvidae family. For example, I knew that crows and ravens are in that family. Then I saw the family also includes, among others, magpies, rooks, jackdaws, and jays. Wait a minute? Jays, really? Yes, jays are corvids. So, below, I will feature three types of jays I have encountered in my travels and at home.
For most people in North America, Blue Jays are what they are familiar with most likely. Although they are native to eastern North America, they are easily found in eastern and central USA. Here at home, in Austin, for example, I see Blue Jays every day in my own backyard. They are about 12 inches (30.5 cm) long and weigh about 3.5 ounces (100 grams). They are very intelligent and social birds. It is a delight to watch them bathing in our bird bath. You can see more photos of Blue Jays on this blog.
Mexican Jays, on the other hand, are a type of jay “native to the Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre Occidental, and Central Plateau of Mexico, and parts of the southwestern United States” (Wikipedia). In fact, I see them in every visit I make to Big Bend National Park here in Texas. They like pine-oak-juniper woodlands of the southwestern United States and Mexico. The ones I have encountered in Big Bend seemed to have been accustomed to humans, too. You can see examples of them being very close to people in another post here. As with the regular Blue Jays, Mexican Jays are also very intelligent and social. Some can live in family groups of up to 25 individuals.
The last type of jay I’ll feature here is a recent discovery for me. In July we were traveling in Colorado when I spotted a couple of Canada Jays. Here are some fun facts I gathered from Wikipedia. Typically, Canada Jays are found in “boreal forests of North America north to the tree line, and in the Rocky Mountains subalpine zone south to New Mexico and Arizona.” The photos here were captured along the Lily Pad Lake trail in Silverthorne, Colorado. Although social, these jays live in small groups. Wikipedia also mentions that these birds are also known as “gray jays, camp robbers, or whisky jacks.” They also seem to be comfortable around humans, especially if someone has food handy.
I hope you have enjoyed this brief introduction about jays. Remember that clicking on any of the thumbnails will bring up a larger version of each photo. I also want to thank Denzil for coming up with this fun challenge of Corvids.
Toonsarah
How interesting, I didn’t realise how many different jays there were. I knew about the US blue jays, and of course our own jays in Britain, but the Canada and Mexican ones are new to me. We’re going to Mexico next year so I’ll look out for those!
Egídio Leitão
Thanks, Sarah. If you are in the northern section of Mexico, you may be able to find that jay. They tend to hang around the Chihuahan Desert section.
TextileRanger
Beautiful pictures, especially the Mexican Jays!
Egídio Leitão
Thank you. Mexican Jays always surprise me when I’m in Big Bend. They appear larger than a regular jay and are not afraid of humans.
Denzil
Beautiful pictures Egidio, I have never heard of Canada or Mexican Jays
Egídio Leitão
Thanks, Denzil. Canada Jay I saw for the first time in July, when we were in Colorado. I had never heard of it before. Mexican Jays we often see when we travel to Big Bend National Park. Thanks for your feedback.
Pepper
Lovely captures. ?
Egídio Leitão
Thank you so much, Pepper.
Pepper
My pleasure. ?
Anita
What a lovely collection of these birds belonging to the Corvidae family. There is so much you don’t know but want to learn. Thanks for a great introduction of the Jays!!
Egídio Leitão
Anita, thank you for the feedback. I love how much I learn with these challenges. They are fun and instructional.
margaret21
This is a marvellous introduction to your local jays, which look quite different from ours. I love it that their Latin name is Garrulus glandarius. Garrulous indeed!
Egídio Leitão
Margaret, I appreciate your feedback. Many thanks.