Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A fairly large, lanky songbird with long, floppy tail and an often hunched-over posture. The bill is fairly long and straight, with a pointed tip.

  Relative Size

  Larger and bulkier than a Western Bluebird; smaller than an American Crow.

  between robin and crow

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 11.0-11.8 in (28-30 cm)
    • Weight: 2.5-3.5 oz (70-100 g)

  © Doug Hitchcox / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Light blue and gray above, with a whitish throat and grayish belly separated by an indistinct, partial breast band of blue. In birds, the color blue depends on lighting, so Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays can look simply dark.

• Behavior

  Assertive, vocal, and inquisitive. You’ll often notice scrub-jays silhouetted high in trees, on wires, or on posts where they act as lookouts. In flight seems underpowered and slow, with bouts of fluttering alternating with glides.
• Habitat

  Look for Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays in open habitats and pinyon-juniper woodlands of the intermountain West; also backyards and pastures. Typically, though not always, in lower and drier habitats than Steller’s Jay.

Regional Differences

A subgroup of Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay occurs in southern mainland Mexico and is sometimes called "Sumichrast's" scrub-jay. Compared with the Woodhouse's in the U.S., these show more contrast between blue upperparts and white underparts, and have a less distinct blue necklace. On the Edwards Plateau of Texas, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays are darker blue with a narrower necklace, browner underparts, and a heavier, less pointed bill.

Regional Photos

© Chris Wood / Macaulay LibraryColorado, November 22, 2012

© Andrew Spencer / Macaulay LibraryOaxaca, April 02, 2013