Purplish-backed Jay
Cyanocorax beecheii
The Purplish-backed Jay (Cyanocorax beecheii) is a rare crows, jays, and magpi found only in Mexico, weighing about 193 g. The purplish-backed jay is a bird of the crow family Corvidae, with purple feathers on its back, wings, and tail and black feathers elsewhere.
About the Purplish-backed Jay
The purplish-backed jay is a bird of the crow family Corvidae, with purple feathers on its back, wings, and tail and black feathers elsewhere. It is endemic to northwestern Mexico, where its habitat is mainly dry deciduous forest. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it as being a "species of least concern".
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The purplish-backed jay is a purple and black bird with a powerful bill and a long tail. It varies in length between 35 and 41 cm (14 and 16 in), with males usually larger than females. The head, neck, upper mantle, and underparts are black, and there is a small ruffled erectile crest on the forehead. The underside of the wings and the tail are also blackish, while the remainder of the plumage is purplish-blue, being brightest on the lower part of the mantle and the rump. The bill is black, and the irises and legs are yellow.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, October, November, December, with peak activity in January. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Purplish-backed Jay?
- The purplish-backed jay is a purple and black bird with a powerful bill and a long tail. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Purplish-backed Jay?
- The Purplish-backed Jay is a medium sized bird weighing about 193 g.
- Where can you see a Purplish-backed Jay?
- The Purplish-backed Jay is endemic to Mexico, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Purplish-backed Jay?
- The Purplish-backed Jay is most easily confused with the Cayenne Jay, the Tufted Jay and the Azure-naped Jay.
- Is the Purplish-backed Jay endangered?
- The Purplish-backed Jay is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Purplish-backed 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 BeakBrainEvery 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.