California Scrub-Jay

Aphelocoma californica

Audubon Illustration

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

Range & Recent Observations

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About the California Scrub-Jay

The California scrub jay (Aphelocoma californica) is a species of scrub jay native to western North America. It ranges from southern British Columbia throughout California and western Nevada near Reno to west of the Sierra Nevada. The California scrub jay was once lumped with Woodhouse's scrub jay and collectively called the western scrub jay. IUCN and the Handbook of the Birds of the World maintain this lumped taxon. The group was also lumped with the island scrub jay and the Florida scrub jay; the taxon was then called simply scrub jay. The California 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.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name: Aphelocoma californica
Family: Crows, Jays, and Magpies
Order: Passeriformes

Similar species

Other members of the crows, jays, and magpies family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

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