Birdr
  • Today
  • Life List
  • Community
Sign in
  • Today
  • Life List
  • Map
  • Trip Planner
  • Community
  • Field Guide
  • Skills
  • Gear Guides
  • Merch
Sign in
Made for birdrs, by birdrs  ·  Birdr ·  v0.1
Field GuideBlogAboutGear GuidesTrip PlannerCommunityBirdr ProPrivacy PolicyTermsSupport
Back to Field Guide

Island Scrub-Jay

Aphelocoma insularis

Range & Recent Observations

Island Scrub-Jayis a year-round resident and doesn't follow a migration flyway. See the Range tab for where it lives.

Last Spotted Near You

View on eBirdWikipedia

About the Island Scrub-Jay

The island scrub jay (Aphelocoma insularis), also known as the island jay or Santa Cruz jay, is a bird in the genus Aphelocoma, which is endemic to Santa Cruz Island off the coast of Southern California. Of the over 500 breeding bird species in the continental U.S. and Canada, it is the only insular endemic landbird species, meaning it is restricted to a geographical island.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Aphelocoma insularis
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.

  • American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
  • Azure-hooded Jay Cyanolyca cucullata
  • Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus
  • Black-billed Magpie Pica hudsonia
  • Black-throated Jay Cyanolyca pumilo
  • Black-throated Magpie-Jay Cyanocorax colliei
  • Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
  • Brown Jay Cyanocorax morio
  • California Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica
  • Canada Jay Perisoreus canadensis
  • Chihuahuan Raven Corvus cryptoleucus
  • Clark's Nutcracker Nucifraga columbiana

Know when the Island Scrub-Jay turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

How rare bird alerts work →

Gear for spotting Island Scrub-Jay

Optics

Best Binoculars for Beginners

You don't need to spend a fortune. These four pairs will get you birding confidently on day one.

8 min readRead guide
Cameras

Cameras for Bird Photography

From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.

12 min readRead guide
Optics

Spotting Scopes for Distance Birding

Essential for shorebirds, raptors, and anything too far for binoculars. Our tested picks.

9 min readRead guide