Do you know how people give names to different stuff because of one identifier?
Like how people see sneakers and just call them sneakers even though they may be tennis shoes, running shoes or basketball shoes? This is exactly the case with birds called blue jays.
People see a bird. People see it’s blue. People recognize it as a jay.
That means it must be a blue jay. It’s easier to identify such birds by colloquial names like that, even though there’s actually only one jay that’s actually called a blue jay.
Here, you will learn about the other types of jays there are so you can tell the actual blue jays apart from them.
Let’s get to it!
7 Types of Blue Jay
There are about seven types of blue jays. Let’s take a look at what they are and how you can differentiate them.
Steller’s Jay
This is the bird that’s mostly mistaken for a blue jay, and for obvious reasons. Its plumage is a brilliant cobalt and it has a crest just like a blue jay. It is, in fact, the only other jay with a crest.
However, it’s a slightly larger bird that is both charcoal black and cobalt blue (with different shades of blue streaked across its plumage). In contrast, the blue jay, which Steller’s Jay is usually mistaken for, is colored blue and white.
Pinyon Jay
The pinyon jay, which got its name from its peculiar dietary habit of feeding on the pinyon pine, is currently an endangered species, so if you manage to spot one, please let it go about its business (this is unlikely, as they nest very high in oak trees).
They look like a steller’s jay without the crest and with some gray-to-white accents in their scarcer plumage. Its major habitat falls in regions where agriculture is prominent.
The trees on which they nest have been brought down to create grazing lands for cattle, leaving them exposed which has seen their population decline by a whopping 85 percent since 1970.
California Scrub Jay
The California scrub jay is a blue jay that’s not a blue jay. You should understand this statement by now.
Its coloration resembles that of a blue jay, with the major difference being the gray accents that streak across the California scrub jay’s face and body.
These bold jays frequent shrubby areas and backyards, making scolding cries like most of the different species of blue jay.
They look like the Florida jay (more on this later) but differ from them in their mating behaviors. They also occupy the blue jay range but are found more in California, hence their name: California scrub jay.
Canada Jay
This is another jay with a crest – or something similar to it. The bird has a small collection of feathers resembling a crest that stands out on its head.
If not for its different coloration, it could be easily mistaken for a steller’s or a blue jay because it’s about the same size as both birds. They’re tame, though, which makes me question if they’re truly jays.
I’d probably be arguing against them being jays if the science didn’t present enough facts.
The Canada Jay also goes by Gray Jay or Whiskey Jacks, depending on where you find them. They are distributed across the mountain areas of Canada and Washington and down through the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico.
Green Jay
The green jay is a striking jay that’s simply named after its defining color. What makes it so striking, however, is that its head is totally blue!
If you spot it poking its head out of a hollow tree (for example), you would be forgiven for thinking it was a California scrub jay.
The bird has a definitive face mask with minute white accents on its face, which totally stops at its neck.
It has black plumage on its neck down to its chest, and from there on, it is a bright leafy green with yellow accents on its tail. It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful jay to look at.
Mexican Jay
This is another jay that looks just like a California scrub jay. If you’re not a big bird enthusiast, you might not even be able to tell both birds apart if they’re placed side by side for you to take a look at.
Like its cousin, it’s crestless with cobalt blue and white plumage. It also has gray accents like a California scrub jay. The difference is in where these accents are.
The Mexican jay is sometimes described as the gray-breasted jay because its breast is mostly gray, which fades to white for the rest of its lower body. However, it maintains a blue plumage on its back with slight gray accents.
Florida Scrub Jay
Like the pinyon jay, this is another endangered jay. The main cause of this bird becoming endangered is urbanization and gentrification (its major habitats have been overrun by humans looking to settle down).
Because it is endemic to the US, it is also keenly sought, which contributes to its population decline.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection estimated this bird’s population to be between 7,700 and 9,000 as of 2023.
It also has to compete with squirrels, the wildly popular hoarders of food and nuts, for acorns, which are its major food source.
If you happen to find a colony of Florida scrub jays around you, stock your bird feeders with peanuts away from the reach of greedy squirrels.
Final Thoughts
These tips I’ve provided you with will surely help you identify the different types of jays in your area, especially the blue ones.
You must note that magpies and jays are from the same family (Corvidae) so they can be difficult to tell apart, especially from the non-blue jays.
You must also note that though there are eight types of jays common in North America (mostly Canada and the US), there are a larger number of subspecies.
I encourage you to take some time to find out those variations and maybe one day, you could become a contributor to science!
