Black-throated Jay

Cyanolyca pumilo

Crows, Jays, and Magpies · Passeriformes · Rare

The Black-throated Jay (Cyanolyca pumilo) is a rare crows, jays, and magpi found in 4 countries, weighing about 47 g. The black-throated jay or Strickland's jay is a species of bird in the family Corvidae, the crows and jays.

Least ConcernRareEats invertebratesforest47 g

About the Black-throated Jay

The black-throated jay or Strickland's jay is a species of bird in the family Corvidae, the crows and jays. It is found in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The black-throated jay is about 23 to 28 cm (9.1 to 11 in) long and weighs about 47 to 60 g (1.7 to 2.1 oz). The sexes have almost the same plumage; females tend to be slightly more greenish than males. Adults have a black forehead, lores, and sides of the head. Their crown is cobalt blue. They have a thin white line from above the forecrown to around the back of the ear coverts. Their upperparts are mostly deep blue that is less purplish than the crown and with some cerulean on the wings and tail. Their throat and chin are a duller black than their face. Voice: The black-throated jay's calls include "a shrieking shreeaa'shreeaa–shreeaa'shreeaa–... a harsher, drawn-out rhrrrrr or rhrrreee!".

Where it lives

When to see it

The Black-throated Jay can be seen all year round, with peak activity in March. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Black-throated Jay?
The black-throated jay is about 23 to 28 cm (9.1 to 11 in) long and weighs about 47 to 60 g (1.7 to 2.1 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Black-throated Jay?
The Black-throated Jay is a small sized bird weighing about 47 g.
Where can you see a Black-throated Jay?
The Black-throated Jay occurs in 4 countries, including Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador.
What birds look similar to a Black-throated Jay?
The Black-throated Jay is most easily confused with the Beautiful Jay, the White-collared Jay and the Dwarf Jay.
Is the Black-throated Jay endangered?
The Black-throated Jay is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Black-throated Jay for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

Play BeakBrain

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.