Habitat
Found in pine, oak, and juniper woodland.Back to top
Food
Acorns, pinyon nuts, arthropods, lizards.Back to top
Nesting
Nest Placement
Nest Description
Nest an open cup of twigs with an inner layer of rootlets, lined with plant fibers. Nest placed in tree.
Nesting Facts
| Clutch Size: | 1-6 eggs |
| Egg Description: | Greenish, with or without dark markings. |
| Condition at Hatching: | Naked and helpless. |
Behavior
Forages on ground and in trees. Harvests and hides (caches) acorns and other nuts. Holds food under feet to peck at it.Back to top
Conservation
There is little information on Mexican Jay population trends. Though populations are restricted, they appear stable. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population of 800,000 with 17% living in the U.S., and 83% in Mexico. The species rates a 12 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score. Mexican Jay is not on the 2016 State of North America's Birds' Watch List. Back to top
Credits
Li, S. H. and J. L. Brown. (1998). Do extra-pair fertilisations benefit female Mexican Jays? Ostrich 69:226.
Lutmerding, J. A. and A. S. Love. Longevity records of North American birds. Version 2020. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Bird Banding Laboratory 2020.
McCormack, J. E. and Jerram L. Brown. (2008). Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma wollweberi), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Partners in Flight (2017). Avian Conservation Assessment Database. 2017.
Sibley, D. A. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds, second edition. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, USA.
