Illustration from National Geographic's Field Guide to the Birds of North America
Pinyon Jay
Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus
August 1, 1805, along Jefferson River, Montana.
A stocky, short-tailed jay. Long slender bill gives it a resemblance to Clark's nutcracker. Gray-blue, darkest on head, with white streaking on throat. Crowlike flight and flocking habits. Length: 9-11.8 in (23-30 cm).
A high-pitched caaa, often quavering at the end and resembling a laughing haa-a-a-a.
Ponderosa pine, piñon-juniper, and forests of mixed pine and oak.
Resident from central Oregon and Montana southward to central Arizona, New Mexico, and extreme northwestern Oklahoma.
Pinyon jays feed principally on pine nuts, which they store in fall and consume during winter and spring.
