Blue Jay

Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758)

22–30 cmLength34–43 cmWingspan88 gWeight

It has a blue crest that can be raised or lowered and a single black collar around the neck.

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Canada, St. Pierre & Miquelon

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Blue crest on the crown
Black collar extends to the sides of the face
Tail feathers blue with black barring
Bill, legs and eyes all black

Male, female and young

Sexes almost identical in appearance; male slightly larger.

Voice

Loud, shrill alarm call, somewhat like a gull's call.

Where and when it's recorded

Blue Jay has been recorded at 538 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Central ParkUnited States37,958 records
Prospect ParkUnited States35,640 records
Parker River NWRUnited States21,731 records

More places

Point Pelee National ParkCanada20,945 records
Mount Auburn CemeteryUnited States20,608 records
Central Park – The RambleUnited States18,524 records
Magee Marsh – BoardwalkUnited States17,794 records
Green-Wood Cemetery, BrooklynUnited States15,498 records
RNF du Cap-TourmenteCanada14,436 records
Cape Island – Higbee Beach WMAUnited States14,126 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States Canada St. Pierre & Miquelon

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to eastern North America. It lives in most of the eastern and central United States; some eastern populations may be migratory. Resident populations are also in Newfoundland, Canada; breeding populations are found across southern Canada.

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