Illustration from Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia/Corbis
Steller's Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri annectens
Subspecies of Jay
September 20, 1805; described at Fort Clatsop, Oregon, but first seen along the Lolo Trail in Montana.
Only western jay with a crest. Front half of bird sooty black, rear dark blue-gray; lightly streaked eyebrow, chin, and forehead markings vary considerably. Length: 12-13.5 in (30-34 cm).
A harsh shack-shack-shack-shack or chook-chook-chook call reveals its presence. May also mimic the screams of hawks.
Coniferous forests: pine and oak woods in southern part of range, small groves and stands of mixed oak and redwood in northern California.
Largely resident from coastal southern Alaska east to Rocky Mountains and southward into Central America.
Steller's jay quickly becomes accustomed to campsites and human providers. It is often seen sitting quietly in treetops, surveying the surroundings.
