Mexican Blue Jay

— When visiting Big Bend National Park, one can be assured to see unforgettable landscapes and some wildlife. Black bears, for example, have made a great comeback to the area. In our last trip to the park in September 2018, we saw three black bears in different areas of the park. Another common sight in Big Bend NP is the Mexican Blue Jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi). Common in west Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, the Mexican Blue Jay can be spotted easily because of its size and distinct blue color. I’ve seen a few on the Lost Mine Trail. In a previous visit to Big Bend NP in the spring of 2017, during a hike to the Window, we spotted three Mexican Blue Jays when we stopped at the end of that trail. It seemed they were making a nest, but we couldn’t see that for certain. Nevertheless, they were not afraid of us at all. They would stay close by watching us — just as much as we were watching them. The photo at the bottom here gives you an idea of how much larger these are in comparison to the regular Blue Jays. That bird was about 3 feet (1 meter) away from us.