Western Scrub Jay
Encyclopedia
The Western Scrub-Jay is a species of scrub-jay native to western North America
. It ranges from southern Washington to central Texas
and central Mexico
. It comprises three distinct subspecies groups, all of which may be separate species. They are California Scrub-Jay (coastal), Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay (interior US and northern Mexico), and Sumichrast's Scrub-Jay (interior southern Mexico). The Western Scrub-Jay was once lumped with the Island Scrub-Jay and the Florida Scrub-Jay; the taxon was then called, simply, the Scrub Jay. The Western Scrub-Jay is nonmigratory and can be found in urban areas, where it can become tame and will come to bird feeders. While many refer to scrub-jays as "blue jays", the Blue Jay
is a different species of bird entirely. In recent years, the California Scrub-Jay has expanded its range north into the Puget Sound
region of Washington.
. In general, this species has a blue head, wings, and tail, a gray-brown back, and grayish underparts. The throat is whitish with a blue necklace. The call is described as "harsh and scratchy".
-juniper
forests, oak
woods, edges of mixed evergreen forests
and sometimes mesquite
bosques. The coastal population also inhabits suburban gardens. Western Scrub-Jays are very common west of the Rocky Mountains, and can be found in scrub-brush, boreal forests, temperate forests, coastal regions, and suburban areas.
within their territories. They rely on highly accurate and complex memories to recover the hidden caches, often after long periods of time. In the process of collecting and storing this food, they have shown an ability to plan ahead in choosing cache sites to provide adequate food volume and variety for the future. Western Scrub-Jays are also able to rely on their accurate observational spatial memories
to steal food from caches made by conspecific
s. To protect their caches from potential 'pilferers', food storing birds implement a number of strategies to reduce this risk of theft. Western Scrub-Jays are also known for hoarding and burying brightly colored objects.. Western Scrub-Jays have a mischievous streak, and they’re not above outright theft. They’ve been caught stealing acorns from Acorn Woodpecker
caches and robbing seeds and pine cones from Clark’s Nutcrackers. They even seem aware of their guilt: some scrub-jays steal acorns they’ve watched other jays hide. When these birds go to hide their own acorns, they check first that no other jays are watching. You might see Western Scrub-Jays standing on the back of a mule deer
. They’re picking off and eating ticks and other parasites
. The deer seem to appreciate the help, often standing still and holding up their ears to give the jays access. The Scrub Jay even will eat peanuts off of a human hand.
, particularly in California's Central Valley
.
of a single "Scrub Jay" species. They are now believed to be distinct (Emslie 1996, Curry et al. 2002, Rice et al. 2003). Beyond the close relationship of the "California" and Island Scrub-Jays, resolution of their evolution
ary history has proven very difficult.
Judging from mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase
subunit
2 sequence
data, it appears there are two clade
s, namely a Pacific one west and one east of the Rocky Mountains
; the relationships of populations in the latter are not resolvable to satisfaction. Thus, it is fairly likely the Western Scrub-Jay is actually another two distinct species, one belonging to the Pacific and another one to the eastern lineage(s); the latter's ancestors apparently gave rise to the Florida Scrub-Jay as well. Paleogeography of the Rocky Mountains range supports this scenario.
Inland birds (Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, woodhouseii group and Sumichrast's Scrub-Jay, sumichrasti group) differ in plumage (paler blue above, with an indistinct and usually incomplete breast band) from the coastal birds (California Scrub-Jay, californica group) which are darker blue above with a strongly defined - but not necessarily complete - blue breast band. The three groups also differ in ecology
and behavior. The beaks of the California and Sumichrast's groups are strong and hooked at the tip, as they feed on acorns, whereas the pinyon-nut feeding Woodhouse's group has a longer, slimmer and straighter bill with little or no hook.
Each group contains a number of subspecies
. "Sumichrast's Scrub-Jay" stands apart from the others in its altruistic breeding behavior, unlike the others) stand apart; its remaining races are generally not quite as pale but have washed-out colors with indistincly marked borders. Certainly, some gene flow
among these populations occurs, but while the hybrid zone between the californica and woodhouseii groups is very limited.
The subspecies are:
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It ranges from southern Washington to central Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and central Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. It comprises three distinct subspecies groups, all of which may be separate species. They are California Scrub-Jay (coastal), Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay (interior US and northern Mexico), and Sumichrast's Scrub-Jay (interior southern Mexico). The Western Scrub-Jay was once lumped with the Island Scrub-Jay and the Florida Scrub-Jay; the taxon was then called, simply, the Scrub Jay. The Western Scrub-Jay is nonmigratory and can be found in urban areas, where it can become tame and will come to bird feeders. While many refer to scrub-jays as "blue jays", the Blue Jay
Blue Jay
The Blue Jay is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to North America. It is resident through most of eastern and central United States and southern Canada, although western populations may be migratory. It breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests, and is common near and in...
is a different species of bird entirely. In recent years, the California Scrub-Jay has expanded its range north into the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
region of Washington.
Description
The Western Scrub-Jay is a medium-sized bird, approximately 27–31 cm (11.5 in) in length (including its tail), with a 39 cm (15 in) wingspan, and about 80g in weight. Coastal Pacific birds tend to be brighter in coloration than those of the interior, but all are patterned in blue, white and gray, though none as uniform in color as the related Mexican JayMexican Jay
The Mexican Jay, Aphelocoma wollweberi, formerly known as the Gray-breasted Jay, is a New World jay native to the Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre Occidental, and Central Plateau of Mexico. It reaches north to eastern Arizona, western New Mexico and western Texas in the United States...
. In general, this species has a blue head, wings, and tail, a gray-brown back, and grayish underparts. The throat is whitish with a blue necklace. The call is described as "harsh and scratchy".
Habitat
True to its name, the Western Scrub-Jay inhabits areas of low scrub, preferring pinonPiñon
Piñon may refer to:* Pinyon pine * Pinon Airplant, Tillandsia excelsa-Places:* Piñon, Arizona, United States* Piñon, New Mexico, United States* Pinon, Aisne, a commune of the Aisne department in France...
-juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
forests, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
woods, edges of mixed evergreen forests
California mixed evergreen forest
California mixed evergreen forest is an ecoregion, of the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome, that occurs in the Pacific Coast Ranges of southwestern Oregon and California, and in the Coast, Transverse, and Peninsular Ranges in California...
and sometimes mesquite
Mesquite
Mesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
bosques. The coastal population also inhabits suburban gardens. Western Scrub-Jays are very common west of the Rocky Mountains, and can be found in scrub-brush, boreal forests, temperate forests, coastal regions, and suburban areas.
Foraging
Western Scrub-Jays usually forage in pairs, family groups, or small non-kin groups, outside of the breeding season. They feed on small animals, such as frogs and lizards, eggs and young of other birds, insects, and (particularly in winter) grains, nuts, and berries. They can be aggressive towards other birds, for example, they have been known to steal hoarded acorns from Acorn Woodpecker granary trees. They will also eat fruit and vegetables growing in backyards.Food storing
Western Scrub-Jays, like many other corvids, exploit ephemeral surpluses by storing food in scattered cachesHoarding
Hoarding or caching is a general term for a behavior that leads people or animals to accumulate food or other items in anticipation of future need or scarcity.-Animal behavior:...
within their territories. They rely on highly accurate and complex memories to recover the hidden caches, often after long periods of time. In the process of collecting and storing this food, they have shown an ability to plan ahead in choosing cache sites to provide adequate food volume and variety for the future. Western Scrub-Jays are also able to rely on their accurate observational spatial memories
Memory
In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing memory....
to steal food from caches made by conspecific
Conspecificity
Conspecificity is a concept in biology. Two or more individual organisms, populations, or taxa are conspecific if they belong to the same species....
s. To protect their caches from potential 'pilferers', food storing birds implement a number of strategies to reduce this risk of theft. Western Scrub-Jays are also known for hoarding and burying brightly colored objects.. Western Scrub-Jays have a mischievous streak, and they’re not above outright theft. They’ve been caught stealing acorns from Acorn Woodpecker
Acorn Woodpecker
The Acorn woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker, 21 cm long with an average weight of 85 g.-Description:...
caches and robbing seeds and pine cones from Clark’s Nutcrackers. They even seem aware of their guilt: some scrub-jays steal acorns they’ve watched other jays hide. When these birds go to hide their own acorns, they check first that no other jays are watching. You might see Western Scrub-Jays standing on the back of a mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
. They’re picking off and eating ticks and other parasites
Parasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
. The deer seem to appreciate the help, often standing still and holding up their ears to give the jays access. The Scrub Jay even will eat peanuts off of a human hand.
Intelligence
Recent research has suggested that Western Scrub-Jays, along with several other corvids, are among the most intelligent of animals. The brain-to-body mass ratio of adult Scrub Jays rivals that of chimpanzees and cetaceans, and is dwarfed only by that of humans. Scrub Jays are also the only non-primate shown to plan ahead for the future, which was previously thought of as a uniquely human trait Other studies have shown that they can remember locations of over 200 food caches, as well as the food item in each cache and its rate of decay.Nesting
Nests are built low in trees or bushes, 1-10m (3–30 ft) above the ground, primarily by the female, while the male guards her efforts. The nests are sturdy, with an outside diameter of 33–58 cm (13–23 in), constructed on a platform of twigs with moss and dry grasses lined with fine roots and hair. Four to six eggs are laid from March through July, with some regional variations. There are two common shell color variations: pale green with irregular, olive-colored spots or markings, and pale grayish-white to green with reddish-brown spots. The female incubates the eggs for about 16 days. The young leave the nest about 18 days after hatching.Life Span
The life span of wild Western Scrub Jays is approximately 9 years. The oldest known Western Scrub-Jay was 15.75 years old.Diseases
Populations are being adversely affected by the West Nile virusWest Nile virus
West Nile virus is a virus of the family Flaviviridae. Part of the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of viruses, it is found in both tropical and temperate regions. It mainly infects birds, but is known to infect humans, horses, dogs, cats, bats, chipmunks, skunks, squirrels, domestic...
, particularly in California's Central Valley
California Central Valley
California's Central Valley is a large, flat valley that dominates the central portion of California. It is home to California's most productive agricultural efforts. The valley stretches approximately from northwest to southeast inland and parallel to the Pacific Ocean coast. Its northern half is...
.
Phylogeny
The Western, Santa Cruz, and Florida Scrub-Jay were once considered subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of a single "Scrub Jay" species. They are now believed to be distinct (Emslie 1996, Curry et al. 2002, Rice et al. 2003). Beyond the close relationship of the "California" and Island Scrub-Jays, resolution of their evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
ary history has proven very difficult.
Judging from mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase
NADH dehydrogenase
NADH dehydrogenase is an enzyme located in the inner mitochondrial membrane that catalyzes the transfer of electrons from NADH to coenzyme Q...
subunit
Protein subunit
In structural biology, a protein subunit or subunit protein is a single protein molecule that assembles with other protein molecules to form a protein complex: a multimeric or oligomeric protein. Many naturally occurring proteins and enzymes are multimeric...
2 sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
data, it appears there are two clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
s, namely a Pacific one west and one east of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
; the relationships of populations in the latter are not resolvable to satisfaction. Thus, it is fairly likely the Western Scrub-Jay is actually another two distinct species, one belonging to the Pacific and another one to the eastern lineage(s); the latter's ancestors apparently gave rise to the Florida Scrub-Jay as well. Paleogeography of the Rocky Mountains range supports this scenario.
Inland birds (Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, woodhouseii group and Sumichrast's Scrub-Jay, sumichrasti group) differ in plumage (paler blue above, with an indistinct and usually incomplete breast band) from the coastal birds (California Scrub-Jay, californica group) which are darker blue above with a strongly defined - but not necessarily complete - blue breast band. The three groups also differ in ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
and behavior. The beaks of the California and Sumichrast's groups are strong and hooked at the tip, as they feed on acorns, whereas the pinyon-nut feeding Woodhouse's group has a longer, slimmer and straighter bill with little or no hook.
Each group contains a number of subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
. "Sumichrast's Scrub-Jay" stands apart from the others in its altruistic breeding behavior, unlike the others) stand apart; its remaining races are generally not quite as pale but have washed-out colors with indistincly marked borders. Certainly, some gene flow
Gene flow
In population genetics, gene flow is the transfer of alleles of genes from one population to another.Migration into or out of a population may be responsible for a marked change in allele frequencies...
among these populations occurs, but while the hybrid zone between the californica and woodhouseii groups is very limited.
The subspecies are:
California Scrub-Jay, Aphelocoma (californica) californica
- Aphelocoma californica immanis Grinnell, 1901 - Interior Scrub-Jay
- From Puget SoundPuget SoundPuget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
through the Willamette ValleyWillamette ValleyThe Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
to Douglas County, OregonDouglas County, Oregon-National protected areas:* Crater Lake National Park * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Siuslaw National Forest * Umpqua National Forest * Willamette National Forest -Adjacent counties:* Lane County, Oregon -... - A large subspecies. Somewhat duller and lighter in color than californica due to gene flow from inland populations. Blue of head and neck less purplish than in woodhouseii group. Back usually quite brownish, underside and especially breast quite whitish, undertail coverts usually tinged pale blue or gray in males. Bill strong, wings and tail fairly short.
- Aphelocoma californica caurina Pitelka, 1951
- Coastal SW Oregon from Rogue RiverRogue River (Oregon)The Rogue River in southwestern Oregon in the United States flows about in a generally westward direction from the Cascade Range to the Pacific Ocean. Known for its salmon runs, whitewater rafting, and rugged scenery, it was one of the original eight rivers named in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act...
valley south to Napa and Sonoma Counties; eastern limit the inner California Coast Ranges. - Similar to californica, but head and back more intensely colored, with bright purplish tinge to blue of head. Color similar to nominate, thus darker than immanis and most oocleptica. Relative to nominate californica, blue areas more purplish and brighter, breast darker than rest of underside.
- Aphelocoma californica oocleptica Swarth, 1918 - Nicasio Scrub-Jay. Includes A. c. superciliosa
- From JacksonJackson County, Oregon-National protected areas:* Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument* Crater Lake National Park * Klamath National Forest * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Umpqua National Forest -Demographics:...
, KlamathKlamath County, Oregon-National protected areas:* Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge* Crater Lake National Park * Deschutes National Forest * Fremont National Forest * Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge* Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge...
, and Lake CountiesLake County, OregonLake County is a county in the high desert south central region of the U.S. state of Oregon, so named for the many lakes found within its boundaries, including Lake Abert, Hart Lake Reservoir, and Goose Lake. While Lake is among Oregon's largest counties, it is sparsely populated with 7,895...
, Oregon, through SacramentoSacramento ValleyThe Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
and San Joaquin ValleySan Joaquin ValleyThe San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
s and surrounding mountains to Kern County, San Francisco BaySan Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
area, and Alpine County. Eastwards to Inyo County and Virginia MountainsVirginia MountainsThe Virginia Mountains is an irregular mountain range entirely in Washoe County, Nevada, that generally extends north-northwest to south-southeast for ~20 miles....
(Washoe CountyWashoe County, NevadaWashoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
, NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
), where it intergrades with nevadae of the woodhouseii group. - Quite variable according to the extent of gene flow between this taxon and nevadae. Generally similar to californica but larger; color of head and neck varies in lightness and amount of purplish hue. Back grayish; undertail coverts usually white. Bill usually heavy but variable according to habitat type (less heavy in birds of pinyon woodland).
- Aphelocoma californica californica (Vigors, 1839)
- California Coast Ranges from San Mateo County and SE Alameda County to SW Ventura County.
- Blue of head usually strongly tinged purple. Back bluish-brownish gray, bluer towards the rump. Incomplete bluish-violet breast band. Underside greyish white, darker on the breast. Undertail coverts white tinged with blue. Thighs gray. Rectrices and remiges dark blue, the larger feathers duller. Bill heavy, tip strongly hooked.
- Aphelocoma californica obscura Anthony, 1889 - Belding's Scrub-Jay
- Coastal SW California, east to Little San Bernardino MountainsLittle San Bernardino MountainsThe Little San Bernardino Mountains are a short mountain range of the Transverse Ranges, located in southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately 40 mi southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains through San Bernardino and Riverside Counties to near the northeast...
, some isolated mountain ranges in W Mojave DesertMojave DesertThe Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, and Whale Peak (San Diego County). Southwards through N Baja CaliforniaBaja CaliforniaBaja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(Sierra de JuárezSierra de JuárezSierra de Juárez is a mountain range on the Baja California Peninsula, of Baja California, Mexico. It is part of the Peninsular Ranges. The Laguna Mountains of California lie to the north and the Sierra San Pedro Mártir lies to the south....
, Sierra San Pedro MártirSierra San Pedro MártirSierra de San Pedro Mártir is a mountain range that is one of the Peninsular Ranges of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. At , the highest peak is the Picacho del Diablo, also known as Cerro de la Encantada or Picacho la Providencia...
) to Todos Santos Bay - Smaller and darker than californica, with more intense purplish and brown coloration on head and back, respectively; prominent gray streaking on throat and distinct breast collar. Belly with smoky gray wash, lighter in the middle. Generally more intense coloration overall. Bill heavy.
- Aphelocoma californica cana Pitelka, 1951 - Eagle Mountain Scrub-Jay
- Only occurs in Single-leaf PinyonSingle-leaf PinyonThe Single-leaf Pinyon, ', is a pine in the pinyon pine group, native to the United States and northwest Mexico. The range is in southernmost Idaho, western Utah, Arizona, southwest New Mexico, Nevada, eastern and southern California and northern Baja California.It occurs at moderate altitudes from...
woods on Eagle MountainEagle Mountain, CaliforniaEagle Mountain, California is a modern day ghost town, in the Colorado Desert, in Riverside County founded in 1948 by noted industrialist Henry J. Kaiser. The town is located at the entrance of the now-defunct Eagle Mountain iron mine, once owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad, then Kaiser Steel,...
, Joshua Tree National ParkJoshua Tree National ParkJoshua Tree National Park is located in southeastern California. Declared a U.S. National Park in 1994 when the U.S. Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act , it had previously been a U.S. National Monument since 1936. It is named for the Joshua tree forests native to the park...
. - Smaller, lighter and grayer than californica. Bill not as heavy. Apparently an isolate of hybrid origin between A. c. obscura and nevadae of the woodhouseii group.
- Aphelocoma californica hypoleuca Ridgway, 1887 - Xantus' Scrub-Jay. Includes A. c. cactophila
- AridAridA region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...
regions of central and southern Baja California south of a line through Bahía Magdalena, Sierra de Calamajué, and Loreto, Baja California SurLoreto, Baja California SurLoreto was the first Spanish settlement on the Baja California Peninsula. It served as the capital of Las Californias from 1697 to 1777, and is the current seat of the municipality of Loreto in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur... - Smaller and somewhat lighter than californica with less purplish hue to blue of head. Underside, including blue on breast, very light. Some have blue or gray tinge to undertail coverts. Bill proportionally longest in californica group.
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Aphelocoma (californica) woodhouseii
left- Aphelocoma californica/woodhouseii nevadae Pitelka, 1945a - Nevada Scrub-Jay
- Great BasinGreat BasinThe Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
from N Nevada southwards, some isolated mountain ranges in Death ValleyDeath ValleyDeath Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
and Mojave Desert from E California to the SW of New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, south to NE SonoraSonoraSonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
and extreme NW Chihuahua. Some hybridization with A. c. oocleptica (californica group) at the north-western edge of its range. - Lighter and duller than woodhouseii; light blue undertail coverts. Bill longish, quite pointed, and tapering, not hooked at tip.
- Aphelocoma californica/woodhouseii woodhouseii (Baird, 1858)
- Rocky Mountains foothills, from N UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
/S WyomingWyomingWyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
south through NW Chihuahua and W TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, sometimes ranging farther into that state. - Blue of neck with dull grayish hue; back grayish brown. Undertail coverts blue. Bill heavy but straight, hardly hooked at tip.
- Aphelocoma californica/woodhouseii texana Ridgway, 1902 - Texas Scrub-Jay
- Hitherto only known from Edwards PlateauEdwards PlateauThe Edwards Plateau is a region of west-central Texas which is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east, the Llano Uplift and the Llano Estacado to the north, and the Pecos River and Chihuahuan Desert to the west. San Angelo, Austin, San Antonio and Del Rio roughly outline the area...
(Texas); area and extent of possible contact with woodhouseii undetermined. Possibly this subspecies at Caprock EscarpmentCaprock EscarpmentThe Caprock Escarpment is a term used in Texas and Eastern New Mexico to describe the geographical transition point between the level elevated plains of the Llano Estacado and the surrounding rolling terrain. In Texas, the escarpment stretches around 320 km south-southwest from the northeast...
, where species settled in the 1950s. - Darker than woodhouseii with hint of breast collar. Lower breast with brownish hue, large white patch on lower belly. Undertail coverts white; in adult males usually with some blue feather tips. Back quite brown. Young birds conspicuously paler than in woodhouseii. Heavy, fairly blunt bill.
- Aphelocoma californica/woodhouseii grisea Nelson, 1899
- Sierra Madre OccidentalSierra Madre OccidentalThe Sierra Madre Occidental is a mountain range in western Mexico.-Setting:The range runs north to south, from just south of the Sonora–Arizona border southeast through eastern Sonora, western Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Aguascalientes to Guanajuato, where it joins...
, primarily in Chihuahua; intergrading with nevadae at NW of range. - Lighter and larger than woodhouseii, with a hint of a blue collar. Undertail coverts white. Long wings and fairly short, heavy bill.
- Aphelocoma californica/woodhouseii cyanotis Ridgway, 1887 - Blue-eared Scrub-Jay
- Lower Sierra Madre OrientalSierra Madre OrientalThe Sierra Madre Oriental is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico.-Setting:Spanning the Sierra Madre Oriental runs from Coahuila south through Nuevo León, southwest Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Hidalgo to northern Puebla, where it joins with the east-west running Eje Volcánico...
, Mexico, from S CoahuilaCoahuilaCoahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
to TlaxcalaTlaxcalaTlaxcala officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tlaxcala is one of the 31 states which along with the Federal District comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 60 municipalities and its capital city is Tlaxcala....
; generally separated from texana woodhouseii; range adjacent to grisea in S Chihuahuan DesertChihuahuan DesertThe Chihuahuan Desert is a desert, and an ecoregion designation, that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra...
. Apparently replaced by Mexican jayMexican JayThe Mexican Jay, Aphelocoma wollweberi, formerly known as the Gray-breasted Jay, is a New World jay native to the Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre Occidental, and Central Plateau of Mexico. It reaches north to eastern Arizona, western New Mexico and western Texas in the United States...
at higher-altitude woodland towards S of range. - Larger and duller than woodhouseii. Back brown with blue tinge, sometimes quite bluish. SuperciliumSuperciliumThe supercilium is a plumage feature found on the heads of some bird species. It is a stripe which runs from the base of the bird's beak above its eye, finishing somewhere towards the rear of the bird's head. Also known as an "eyebrow", it is distinct from the eyestripe, which is a line which runs...
faint and small. Underside qhite light; lower belly white. Undertail coverts dull white. Bill and wings as in grisea, young birds browner than texana.
Sumichrast's Scrub-Jay, Aphelocoma (californica) sumichrasti
- Aphelocoma californica/sumichrasti sumichrasti (Baird and Ridgway, 1874) - Sumichrast's Scrub-Jay
- From Distrito Federal southeastwards through VeracruzVeracruzVeracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, PueblaPueblaPuebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
, and OaxacaOaxacaOaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
. - Bright blue head color, with blackish ear patches. Faint white supercilium. Back grayish-brown, blue towards the tail. Light gray streaks on throat; traces of a faint grayish or grayish-blue breast collar. Thighs smoky gray. Remiges and rectrices dark dull blue. Large, with very long wings. Heavy, slightly hooked bill.
- Aphelocoma californica/sumichrasti remota Griscom, 1934 - Chilpancingo Scrub-Jay
- SW Oaxaca and central GuerreroGuerreroGuerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
. Apparently separated from sumichrasti by Rio Balsas valley. - Duller and lighter than sumichrasti. Largest of all Western Scrub-Jays.
Further reading
- Madge, Steve; Burn, Hilary (1994): Crows and jays: a guide to the crows, jays and magpies of the world. A&C Black, London. ISBN 0-7136-3999-7
Footnotes
- EtymologyEtymologyEtymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
: Aphelocoma, from LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
ized Ancient GreekAncient GreekAncient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
apheles- (from ἀφελής-) "simple" + Latin coma (from Greek kome κόμη) "hair", in reference to the lack of striped or banded feathers in this genus, compared to other jays. californica, LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: "from California".
External links
- Cornell Laboratory of OrnithologyCornell Laboratory of OrnithologyThe Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a member-supported unit of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York which studies birds and other wildlife. It is housed in the Imogene Powers Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity in Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary...
: Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica). Includes a sample of its call. Retrieved 2007-FEB-25.
- University of Cambridge Comparative Psychology of Learning and Cognition Lab: It takes a thief to know a thief - article on studies of the cognitive abilities of western scrub-jays. Retrieved 2007-FEB-25.
- USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter: Western scrub-jay Aphelocoma californica. Retrieved 2007-FEB-25.
- YouTube: Western scrub-jay cleaning ticks off the back of a mule deer. Retrieved 2010-Nov-6.