Bird guide · Cyanocitta stelleri
Steller's Jay
What the Steller's 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 move to lower elevations in winter.
- Size
- 12.8 in (32 cm)
- Eats
- peanuts (whole raw), black oil sunflower, striped sunflower
- Feeds
- tray/platform, hopper
- Most common
- Oregon, Washington, Alaska
Food
What do Steller's jays eat?
At feeders, Steller's jays take peanuts (whole raw), black oil sunflower, striped sunflower, cracked corn.
Flocks often fly in one at a time, in single file, calling as they swoop up to perch.
Feeder that suits it
A tube or hopper feeder with sunflower seed or sunflower hearts.
Range
Where do Steller's jays live?
Coniferous mountain forests of the West and the northwest coast. By share of all bird sightings, Steller's jays are most common in Oregon (1.6%).
States where Steller's jays are most common
- Oregon1.6%
- Washington1.5%
- Alaska0.8%
- Colorado0.7%
- California0.6%
- Nevada0.6%
- New Mexico0.4%
- Utah0.4%
- Idaho0.3%
- Arizona0.3%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are Steller's jays, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the Steller's jay migrate?
Mostly year-round resident; may move to lower elevations in winter.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in September.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are Steller's jays, by month.
Identification
How to identify the Steller's jay
Adults: Very dark jay, the only all-dark jay with a crest; small white or blue spots on the forehead and near the eye.
Size: 12.8 in (32 cm)
Easily confused with
- Blue Jay – white face, wing bars and tail corners; the two sometimes interbreed in the eastern Rockies
On camera
Getting the Steller's jay on a feeder camera
Any seed camera feeder works. Hang it near shrubs for cover, about five feet off the ground, with the lens facing away from direct sun.
Questions
Steller's Jay: questions
What do Steller's jays eat?
At feeders, peanuts (whole raw), black oil sunflower, striped sunflower, cracked corn.
Do Steller's jays migrate?
Mostly year-round resident; may move to lower elevations in winter.. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in September.
Where do Steller's jays live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Colorado, California. They are rare or absent in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida.