Steller's Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri (Gmelin, JF, 1788)
30–34 cmLength128 gWeight
Steller's jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a bird native to western North America and the mountains of Central America, closely related to the blue jay (C. cristata) found in eastern North America.
Busiest months: September–October · Most records: United States, Canada, Guatemala
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: September–October · Most records: United States, Canada, Guatemala
Steller's Jay has been recorded at 188 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 6 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Pt. Reyes Bird Observatory – PalomarinUnited States9,557 records
- Mt. Tabor ParkUnited States7,732 records
- Union Bay Natural Area/Montlake FillUnited States7,327 records
More places
- Discovery ParkUnited States6,265 records
- Marymoor ParkUnited States5,961 records
- Pittock MansionUnited States5,576 records
- Golden Gate Park – ArboretumUnited States4,802 records
- Juanita Bay ParkUnited States4,570 records
- Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWRUnited States4,358 records
- Golden Gate Park – Blue Heron Lake & Strawberry HillUnited States4,220 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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
Steller's jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) is a bird native to western North America and the mountains of Central America, closely related to the blue jay (C. cristata) found in eastern North America. It is the only crested jay west of the Rocky Mountains. It is also sometimes colloquially called a "blue jay" in the Pacific Northwest, but is distinct from the blue jay of eastern North America.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Steller's Jay?
The Steller's Jay is about 30–34 cm long and weighs around 128 g.
Where does the Steller's Jay live?
Its breeding range: North America, Middle America: western. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Guatemala.
When is the best time to see the Steller's Jay?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September and October (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Steller's Jay endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Steller's Jay as Least Concern.
What does the Steller's Jay eat?
Main food: Omnivore.
What family is the Steller's Jay in?
It belongs to the family Crows, Jays (Corvidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 30–34 cm
- Weight
- 128 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 146 mm
- Tail
- 133 mm
- Bill
- 34 mm
- Tarsus
- 43 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America, Middle America: western
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Crows, Jays Corvidae
- Genus
- Cyanocitta
Other birds in the genus Cyanocitta
Blue JayCyanocitta cristata
Malayan Black MagpiePlatysmurus leucopterus
Bornean Black MagpiePlatysmurus aterrimus
Siberian JayPerisoreus infaustus
Sichuan JayPerisoreus internigrans
Canada JayPerisoreus canadensis
Black-collared JayCyanolyca armillata
White-collared JayCyanolyca viridicyanus
Turquoise JayCyanolyca turcosa
Beautiful JayCyanolyca pulchra
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Dave Drum. ↗
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