From Opus

Alternative names: California Scrub-Jay (nominate group); Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay (woodhouseii group); Sumichrast's Scrub-Jay (sumichrasti group)

Bird of californica type
Photo by Leslie
California, USA.

Aphelocoma californica

[edit] Identification:

11-13" (28-33 cm)

• Large strong bill
• Long tail make it appear larger
• Head, wings, and tail blue
• Dull brown back
• Light gray underparts
• Dusky face mask
• White throat offset by incomplete blue necklace

[edit] Variations

Bird of woodhouseii type
Photo by fbello
Photo taken: Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA, August 2005

There are three distinct populations, with slight range overlap. Members of the Pacific population (group californica), shown in the photo by Leslie, have more vivid colors and markings than birds further east: darker blue in back, tail, and head, whiter underside plumage, and more distinct eyebrow and facial marking contrast. The Pacific bird is also bolder in behavior than interior birds. The interior birds (group woodhouseii) have a less contrasting breast band, and a straight bill that is thinner and lacks hook near the tip. The southern birds (group sumichrasti) are larger, have bluer backs and whiter throats (when compared with woodhouseii) and a hooked bill.

[edit] Distribution

Resident from Washington, Wyoming, Utah South of the Wasatch Front, and Colorado south to Texas; also in Mexico, almost to the isthmus.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies

Currently recognized are 15 subspecies falling in three main groups^[2]:
Group californica contain the largest number of subspecies and occurs mainly west of the Rocky mountains including Baja California

• A. c. inmanis: Extreme south-western Washington to western Oregon (Willamette Valley)
• A. c. caurina: Coastal south-western Oregon to central California (Trinity, Lake and Napa counties)
• A. c. oocleptica: South-central Oregon to San Francisco Bay and western Nevada
• A. c. californica: Coastal ranges of central California (southern San Mateo to south-western Ventura County)
• A. c. obscura: South-western California and northern Baja California (south to Todos Santos Bay)
• A. c. cactophila: Central Baja California (latitude 29º30' to Bahía Magdalena)
• A. c. hypoleuca: Cape District of Baja California

Group woodhouseii is mainly east of the Rockies and also include several subspecies; overlaps with previous group in western Nevada (Pine Nut Mountains)

• A. c. nevadae: South-eastern Oregon south through Great Basin to north-eastern Sonora and north-western Chihuahua
• A. c. cana: Arid southern California (Eagle Mountain area of Riverside County)
• A. c. woodhouseii: Rocky Mountains to western Oklahoma, western Texas and northern Chihuahua
• A. c. texana: West-central Texas
• A. c. grisea: North-western Mexico (eastern slopes of Sierra Madre Occidental)
• A. c. cyanotis: Mountains of east-central Mexico (southern Coahuila and Nuevo León to Hidalgo)

Group sumichrasti is an internal group limited to Mexico, and includes remota

• A. c. sumichrasti: Highlands of southern Mexican plateau (Veracruz to Puebla and Oaxaca)
• A. c. remota: South-western Mexico (Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero)

These three groups have in the past been considered separate species, and may become full species again (especially the split between californica and woodhouseii seems likely).

[edit] Habitat

Group californica: scrub oak, woodlands, and chaparral, but does not breed in low scrub because it needs watch posts; also inhabits suburban gardens. The woodhouseii group has a preference for pinyon-juniper woodland but is also found in open oak and pine-oak woodlands. The sumichrasti group occurs in a variety of open woodland and brushy environs.

[edit] Behaviour

Like all jays, this species may be secretive and silent around its nest or while perching in a treetop in early morning but is frequently noisy and conspicuous.

[edit] Flight

Glides in a long, undulating flight.

[edit] Diet

Mainly insectivorous but will eat the eggs or young of other birds. They also eat and bury acorns.

[edit] Breeding

The clutch consists of 3-6 eggs, spotted on darker, greenish or reddish base, in a twiggy nest well hidden in a tree or dense shrub.

[edit] Vocalisation

Call: is loud, throaty jayy? or jree?
In flight: a long series of check-check-check notes. There are audible differences in vocalizations between the three groups.

[edit] References

1. AOU proposal including a discussion of possible split of the three groups, read August 2009
2. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
3. audubonbirds.org
4. Birdforum thread discussing the taxonomy of this species

• List of references

[edit] External Links