Bird guide · Aphelocoma californica
California Scrub-Jay
What the California scrub-jay eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Mostly year-round resident; may disperse in winter when acorn crops are poor.
- Size
- 12 in (30.5 cm)
- Eats
- nuts, seeds, acorns
- Feeds
- tray/platform, ground
- Most common
- Oregon, California, Nevada
Food
What do California scrub-jays eat?
At feeders, California scrub-jays take nuts, seeds, acorns.
Readily comes to feeders; often harvests acorns and buries them to retrieve later.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do California scrub-jays live?
Parks, neighbourhoods and riverside woods near the Pacific Coast. By share of all bird sightings, California scrub-jays are most common in Oregon (1.9%).
States where California scrub-jays are most common
- Oregon1.9%
- California1.7%
- Nevada0.8%
- Washington0.4%
- Idaho0.00%
- Utah0.00%
- Colorado0.00%
- Texas0.00%
- Arizona0.00%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are California scrub-jays, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the California scrub-jay migrate?
Mostly year-round resident; may disperse in winter when acorn crops are poor.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in December.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are California scrub-jays, by month.
Identification
How to identify the California scrub-jay
Adults: Crestless jay with blue head, wings and tail, grey back and a white throat bordered by a streaked necklace.
Size: 12 in (30.5 cm)
Easily confused with
- Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay – duller, with a less contrasting throat; interior West
On camera
Getting the California scrub-jay on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
California Scrub-Jay: questions
What do California scrub-jays eat?
At feeders, nuts, seeds, acorns.
Do California scrub-jays migrate?
Mostly year-round resident; may disperse in winter when acorn crops are poor.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in December.
Where do California scrub-jays live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Oregon, California, Nevada, Washington, Idaho. They are rare or absent in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut.
More birds