[annaswindow]

A Black-throated Magpie Jay (Calocitta colliei) has been in my front yard for the past 4 mornings. I feed about two dozen crows, one raven and two red-shouldered hawks each morning. This beautiful and unusual looking bird has joined the corvid throng.
The crows don't quite know what to do with it. When it comes to ground to feed, they all step back and give it room. The magpie jay shows none of the usual deference to the hawks and the raven. Yesterday it harassed one of the hawks that was perched in a eucalyptus tree. The hawk moved to the next tree and the magpie jay swooped around the hawk before flying to another tree. It is as if the other birds don't know what to make of this strange bird.
I have photos and will post them if I can figure out how.

[Katy Penland]

It's pretty simple, starting with the "manage attachments" box. Also, make sure your photo files aren't bigger than 200kb or the system will reject them. Another thing that most folks forget is to wait to see their uploaded file appear in the window before clicking "done." If you have any questions or problems, just ask!

[Dave B Smith]

And yes, we would love to see these photos. Definitely a great looking bird. There was another thread here several months ago from So. Ca. with another sighting.

[LABirder4919]

My daughter and I saw the magpie-jay on the street day before yesterday. We got to watch it for about five minutes before it flew into the trees and disappeared. You're right--crows don't know what to make of it. It's a noisy critter, that's for sure.

[Katy Penland]

Hi, LABirder, a warm welcome to you (and your daughter!) from all of us on staff here at BirdForum!

May I ask what part of LA you saw the bird? It's now been recently reported in Malibu, San Diego and now LA itself. I've never seen one. Guess I'm going to have to just make a trip home (Santa Monica) and "twitch" this bird.

[cfagyal]

Black-throated Magpie-Jay in the US? Wow that's pretty special. First US record as far as I can figure out from a brief search. I don't know that I can convince myself to drive 8 hours to see it...

[Katy Penland]

Originally Posted by cfagyal

Black-throated Magpie-Jay in the US? Wow that's pretty special. First US record as far as I can figure out from a brief search. I don't know that I can convince myself to drive 8 hours to see it...

8 hours to CA from MN? Chris, honey, what kind of fuel are you using?! Malibu is 10 hours from me and I'm in the state next door! However, if you *do* decide to "fly by," drop in and pick me up -- we can split the gas cost and crash with friends of mine in LA. LOL!

[cfagyal]

Originally Posted by Katy Penland

8 hours to CA from MN? Chris, honey, what kind of fuel are you using?! Malibu is 10 hours from me and I'm in the state next door! However, if you *do* decide to "fly by," drop in and pick me up -- we can split the gas cost and crash with friends of mine in LA. LOL!

No I am up in San Jose, CA right now on business. It'd be a 8hrish drive or some such, or hmm..Malibu..maybe thats more like 5ish hours. I dunno, i've never driven from San Jose to LA.

[Katy Penland]

Originally Posted by cfagyal

No I am up in San Jose, CA right now on business. It'd be a 8hrish drive or some such, or hmm..Malibu..maybe thats more like 5ish hours. I dunno, i've never driven from San Jose to LA.

LOL, okay, that makes more sense! Yeah, 8 hours from SJ to LA area. Malibu is only on the northern edge of LA so you'd think you'd get there more quickly, but it's on the coast (Pacific Coast Hwy 1), not off the 101, so it'd still take you 8ish hours to get there as well. Continuing south, San Diego is another 2-2 1/2 hours beyond LA.

You might wanna see if Southwest Airlines is having their frequent "$39 anywhere in California" fare sales.

[LABirder4919]

I went to Malibu to see it--the LA TIMES and <virtualbirder.com> gave the precise block where it's been hanging around, and noted that it's most active between 6:30 and 7 AM--I saw it at 6:45. The fellow who posts unusual birds for this area at <virtualbirder.com> thinks it's an escapee, not an accidental. He may well be right--but it's still a cool bird.

[Tero]

Wow, that bird would be hard to miss
http://www.whozoo.org/Intro2002/Chri..._MagpieJay.htm