Back to Field Guide
Steller's Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
Audubon Illustration
John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.
Range & Recent Observations
Last Spotted Near You
About the Steller's Jay
Steller's jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a bird native to western North America and the mountains of Central America, closely related to the blue jay (C. cristata) found in eastern North America. It is the only crested jay west of the Rocky Mountains. It is also sometimes colloquially called a "blue jay" in the Pacific Northwest, but is distinct from the blue jay of eastern North America. The species inhabits pine-oak and coniferous forests.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Cyanocitta stelleri
- 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 Steller's Jay turns up near you
How rare bird alerts work →Gear for spotting Steller's 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