California Scrub-Jay Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesCalifornia Scrub-Jay
Adult
Large and lanky songbird with a long tail and stout bill. Adults are rich azure blue and gray above, with a clean, pale underside broken up by a partial blue necklace.
© Ilya Povalyaev / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, November 07, 2020Juvenile
Juveniles are gray above with a blue tail and bits of blue coming in on the wings.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, June 06, 2016Adult
Acorns are a main part of the diet; their bill is thick and hooked for carrying and opening acorns; slightly different from the straight, pointed bill of Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, which eats mainly pinyon pine seeds.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 01, 2001Not all videos have sound
Adult
Inquisitive birds that often perch out in the open. Adults are pale below with a partial, but wide blue necklace.
© Graham Montgomery / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, October 11, 2020Adult
Boldly hops around trees and shrubs looking for food; they almost always look like they are up to something.
© Herb Elliott / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 10, 2020Adult
Adults are rich azure blue and gray above with a darker cheek patch and a thin white line just above the eye.
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, March 08, 2010Habitat
Found in open habitats, oak woodlands, and chaparral along the west coast of North America, as well as in backyards, pastures, and orchards.
© Don Weber / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 06, 2018Similar SpeciesWoodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Adult
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay overlaps with California Scrub-Jay only in a limited part of eastern California and western Nevada. Woodhouse's is a less intense blue, has grayer underparts, and has only an indistinct blue breast band.
© Chris Wood / Macaulay LibraryColorado, November 22, 2012Similar SpeciesPinyon Jay
Adult
Pinyon Jay is the only other large blue bird without a crest that you're likely to see in the western United States. Pinyon Jays are stockier, shorter-tailed (almost crow-shaped) and plainer blue overall.
© David Hollie / Macaulay LibraryColorado, June 06, 2010Similar SpeciesMexican Jay
Adult
The Mexican Jay of far southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico has a blue-gray (not gray) back and lacks the scrub-jay's necklace.
© Richard Fray / Macaulay LibraryArizona, March 06, 2017Similar SpeciesFlorida Scrub-Jay
Adult
Florida Scrub-Jays look similar but their range is confined to Florida and does not overlap with California Scrub-Jay. Florida Scrub-Jays have a white forehead unlike California Scrub-Jay.
© Patrick J. Blake / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, February 21, 2017Similar SpeciesSteller's Jay
Adult (Coastal)
Steller's Jays have a black crest unlike the rounded, blue head of California Scrub-Jay.
© Jeff Maw / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 16, 2017Similar SpeciesBlue Jay
Adult
Blue Jays occur in the east and don't overlap with California Scrub-Jays. They have a blue crest and a black necklace, 2 features that California Scrub-Jays don't have.
© bellemare celine / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, February 03, 2017Similar SpeciesWestern Bluebird
Adult male
Western Bluebirds have a rusty chest and are much smaller than California Scrub-Jays.
© Brooke Miller / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 13, 2015Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Crows, Jays, and Magpies(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Corvidae)
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