Breeding Location:
Forest edge, Bushes, shrubs, and thickets, Mountains, Scrub vegetation areas
Breeding Type:
Monogamous, Solitary nester
Breeding Population:
Fairly common to common
Egg Color:
Green or gray with brown, red brown or olive spots
Number of Eggs:
2 - 7
Incubation Days:
15 - 17
Egg Incubator:
Female
Nest Material:
Twigs, grass, and moss, lined with finer rootlets and animal hair.
Migration:
Nonmigratory
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Overview
Western Scrub-Jay: Medium, crestless jay, blue head, wings, tail, gray mask, back, pale gray underparts. Dark-streaked, white throat bordered by dark necklace. Bill, legs, feet are black. Eats grains, fruits, insects, frogs, lizards and eggs and young of other birds. Flies with steady wing beats.
Range and Habitat
Western Scrub-Jay: Resident from Washington, Wyoming, and Colorado south to Texas and Mexico. Preferred habitats include scrub oak, woodlands, and chaparral. Also inhabits suburban gardens.
Breeding and Nesting
Western Scrub-Jay: Two to seven light gray or green eggs spotted with brown, red brown, or olive, are laid in a twiggy nest well hidden in a tree or dense shrub. Incubation ranges from 15 to 17 days and is carried out by the female. Male feeds female during incubation.
Foraging and Feeding
Western Scrub-Jay: Diet consists of insects, grains, small lizards, frogs, fruits, and eggs and young of other birds; forages in trees and on the ground.
Readily Eats
Cracked Corn, Suet, Sunflower Seed
Vocalization
Western Scrub-Jay: Call is a loud, throaty "jay" or "jree." In flight, a long series of "check-check-check" notes are emitted.
Similar Species
Western Scrub-Jay: Mexican Jay has uniform underparts lacking the white throat and dark collar. Pinyon Jay has blue underparts and shorter tail.
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