| Steller's Jay | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Corvidae |
| Genus: | Cyanocitta |
| Species: | Cyanocitta stelleri |
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a North American bird in the Corvid family.
Description[]
It is usually about 30-34 cm long, and weighs 100-140 g. Its wingspan measures about 44 cm. It has got relatively short, rounded wings, a long, rounded tail that looks rather wide when fully spread, and a tuft of feathers on its head. It is very similar and closely related to the Blue Jay, but has a generally darker plumage. Its head and throat are black, its back is dark blue-grey, while its underbelly, wings, and tail are blue in color.
Life History[]
Like many other corvids, Steller's jay is omnivorous, eating seeds, invertebrates, chicks and eggs, small vertebrates, fruit and berries. This bird's typical habitat are coniferous forests. It lives in flocks, except for the period in which it nests and breeds.
Steller’s Jays move around with bold hops of their long legs, both on the ground and among the spokelike main branches of conifers. They pause often to eye their surroundings, cocking their head with sudden movements this way and that. Jays have incredible spatial memories, and Steller’s Jays store surplus food in caches. They also raid the caches of Clark’s Nutcrackers and other jays. Steller’s Jays are common nest predators, stealing both eggs and chicks from the nests of many species. They are very social, traveling in groups, sometimes playing with or chasing each other, or joining mixed-species flocks. One of the most vocal species of mountainous forests, Steller’s Jays keep up a running commentary on events and often instigate mobbing of predators and other possibly dangerous intruders.
Nesting[]
Both members of the pair choose the nest site, typically a conifer, and both gather nest material. Steller’s Jays put their nests on horizontal branches close to the trunk and often near the top of the tree (though some nests are built much lower, even just above ground level).
The nest is a bulky cup of stems, leaves, moss, and sticks held together with mud. The inside is lined with pine needles, soft rootlets or animal hair. The finished nest can be 10-17 inches in diameter, 6-7 inches tall, and 2.5-3.5 inches deep on the inside.
The clutch size of Steller's Jay is from around 2 to 6 eggs and 1 brood is raised every year.
Distribution and habitat[]
It is native to the western coast of North America and the Rocky Mountains. It is common in pine oak woodlands and coniferous forests, and is a casual winter visitor to the lower elevations of the Great Basin, southern California, and the southwestern deserts.
Gallery[]
