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ForestPlatform nestMedium · 181 g
ID tip
The tufted jay is a distinctive bird within its range. It has a crest of black feathers on its head, fading to dark blue at the base. Its face is mostly black to dark blue with white spots above the eyes and white cheeks. It has a white nape and belly. The back and wings are a purplish blue which extends partway down the tail, transitioning to white about halfway down. The beak and legs are both black, and it has bright yellow irises. Immature birds have shorter crests, lack the white spot above their eyes, and have bright blue cheeks and brown irises. Voice: The tufted jay has several calls, with the most common being a rapid, four-note call transcribed as either rak, chuck, chen, or ca. This call is made by flock members when feeding and by nesting females, and a higher-pitched variation is used as a mobbing call. When perched next to other tufted jays, individuals may make a nasal aaagh call. When guarding a nest, males make a tuk or tst call.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the Tufted Jay
One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 9 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is January, the month with the most records.
Where to see the Tufted Jay
The map shades 1 country with regular records, and 1 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
Recorded as a rare visitor in Germany.
About the Tufted Jay
The tufted jay, also known as the painted jay and Dickey's jay, is a species of bird in the crow family Corvidae. It is endemic to a small area of the Sierra Madre Occidental in the Mexican states of Sinaloa, Durango, and Nayarit. A distinctive large jay, it has a prominent dark crest on its head; purplish blue back, wings, and face; a white spot above the eye and on the cheek; white undersides; and a partially white tail. Its typical call is a quick, four-note vocalization.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easily confused with
Azure-naped JayCyanocorax heilpriniThe back is dark brown, as are the upper sides of the wings and tail.
Cayenne JayCyanocorax cayanusThe cayenne jay is a medium sized jay, roughly 33 cm (13 in) long.
Azure JayCyanocorax coeruleusThe azure jay is 38 to 40 cm (15 to 16 in) long; one individual weighed 272 g (9.6 oz).
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